


Meant to Be

by normski_reedenstein



Category: Actor RPF, American (US) Actor RPF
Genre: Actor Chris Evans, Break Up, Bwwm, Childbirth, Co-Parenting, Dating, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Language, Long-Distance Relationship, Marriage Proposal, Meet the Family, Minor Character Death, Pregnancy, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2020-10-19 01:10:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 62,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20648750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/normski_reedenstein/pseuds/normski_reedenstein
Summary: Kenda and Chris never expected to wind up in the same place on the same night let alone meet and hit it off. Fun and flirty dates led to a budding relationship full of passion and love but unfortunately good things never last.When Kenda can no longer deal with Chris’ hectic schedule, his celebrity status and being away from him for so long with their only contact being over the phone, she decides to break it off with Chris only to find out she’s carrying his child soon after. Forever tied to him, fate makes it so even when they’re not together they’re still bound.Seven years later, Chris has taken a break from his job to focus on spending time with his daughter. Spending more time with her, and by default Kenda, old feelings rush back stronger than ever and eventually they’re falling back into old ways.Was it always meant to be?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be cross posted from my tumblr. I think I may have fallen down the Evans rabbit hole.

_ **Summer 2012** _

* * *

Kenda Mills applied a coat of dark lipstick before she looked over her reflection in the standing mirror. Her all black outfit was on point from the tank top that accentuated her full chest to the hot pants that squeezed her hips to the knee high heeled boots that added a few inches to her height. Kenda smiled to herself before popping her ass out and giving it a shake. She felt as good as she looked and she was sure to turn heads when she went out. Her phone buzzed a notification from her friend Monika. 

**_'Get your ass out here!'_**

Kenda laughed before texting back, _**'Give me a second. On my way down.' **_

Throwing her phone in her purse, she turned out all the lights in her apartment before walking out the door. Kenda walked down the two flights of stairs to the main lobby before walking out the front door of her apartment building. She spotted Monika's Beemer sitting at the curb and strutted towards it. 

"Goddamn!" Monika exclaimed as Kenda climbed in the car. "This bitch went all out!" 

"What's the point of going out if you're not trying to look your best?" 

"I hear that."

Kenda eyed Monika's outfit. She wore a skin tight mini skirt and crop top that she cut up even more to reveal her cleavage. She was a small girl but what she lacked in height she made up for in breasts and ass. Her long blue hair fell over one shoulder and showed off her golden hoops. Her tattoo sleeves were out for the world to see. She was one of the only white girls Kenda knew that could be a comic book and anime nerd earlier in the day and shut down a club later that night and that's one of the reasons they got along so well. Nobody ever expected them to be the party girls they were by the time the sun set. 

Monika sped off to their favorite nightclub blasting some music to get them in the clubbing mood. By the time they arrived, of course a line had formed outside the door. For anyone else it would've meant a long wait but for these two it was no big deal. Thanks to the connections Monika made with damn near everyone, she never had a problem getting in anywhere if she really wanted to. It just so happened her weed connect was also the bouncer of their favorite club. 

"Hey Big Ben!" she sang as she and Kenda walked arm in arm to the door. 

Ben smiled and winked at them before letting them pass much to the annoyance of the other club goers who had more than likely been waiting more than an hour to get in. The bass of the music shook the floor as the DJ spun some Beyonce on the turntables. The two immediately bee lined to the bar, pushing through the crowd of half drunk dancers and party goers. Kenda noticed out of the corner of her eye that some men and women snapped their necks to get a good look at her and she smiled arrogantly to herself. After ordering two shots of 1800 Silver each, they tossed them back like water before ordering beers and it was off to the dance floor. The two were attracting guys like moths to a flame; Most of the attention they didn't mind until one or two decided to get handsy and were immediately told to fuck off. Kenda worked up a sweat as she tossed back her beer and swung her hips to whatever was playing. She was feeling good like always. 

While Monika was practically giving some guy a lap dance, Kenda went to get another beer. When she flashed a sweet smile while leaning over the bar, she caught the attention of one bar tenders who looked like he was already taking someone else's order. She was never one to use her looks to get what she wanted but in busy clubs like this, it was your best ammunition. If she flashed some leg or cleavage, people were tripping over themselves to serve her. Making sure to leave a generous tip, Kenda turned and accidentally bumped into someone coming up to the bar. 

"Shit, that's my bad. Sorry," she apologized. 

The man she ran into placed a hand on her arm while stepping out of her way. "I wasn't watching where I was going. Don't worry about it." 

His Red Sox hat covered his eyes and Kenda wondered why he seemed to want to hide in a club full of people. She walked back into the crowd leaving the man gawking at her ass as it swayed from side to side. By the time Kenda got back to Monika, she was still grinding on her mystery man and he looked like he was about to bust a nut right there. Luckily the song that was playing faded into something with a quicker beat and Monika let the man breathe before he stumbled off. Kenda doubled over laughing. 

"What did you do to him?" 

"I was only dancing! He was hard as a rock though. I thought he was gonna poke a hole in my skirt honestly," Monika said as she twisted to check the back of her skirt. 

"You're a fucking fool." 

"That's why you love me!" 

The next hour and a half passed in a blur of dancing and people. Kenda was twerking on Monika who playfully smacked her ass and egged her on. Alcohol was flowing at a steady pace and the buzz building in Kenda's system had her feeling better than ever. Eventually, she and Monika went to sit at the bar to take a break and talk, mostly spreading the gossip they had gathered throughout the week from work. Kenda threw her head back as she laughed loudly. Some people described her laugh as borderline obnoxious when really it was just a little harder and louder than normal. Where some had a gentle laugh from the throat, hers always came from her belly. She had tears falling down her face as her friend recalled a story of her coworkers getting caught messing around during a practice evacuation drill. 

"I swear to God, Mon, shut up. I'm gonna pee," Kenda gasped as she dabbed a napkin under her eyes. 

One of the bartenders placed two beers in front of the women. "From the guys at the end of the bar." 

Their heads craned over to see the men the bartender pointed out. One of them was Red Sox guy who held up his drink with a cute lopsided smile. Monika held her beer up in thanks before taking a sip. Kenda was hesitant. Taking drinks from strangers, even if she watched them order it with her own eyes, was never her forte. She still held it up with a smile anyway. That seemed to cue the two guys to walk over to them. 

"Which one do you want?" Monika quickly asked. 

"Lets see what they're about first." 

Monika rolled her eyes. "Really, mom? I don't care what they're about right now. They're cute and I'm taking one home so you better pick fast." 

The guys approached the stools where the two sat. Red Sox was wearing a plain white tee shirt that hugged his arms, his muscles defined but not overly huge. His simple dark jeans covered brown boots and a gold chain adorned his neck. Kenda noticed the bull tattoo on his left arm peeking out from under his sleeve. A short beard covered his face. Overall, he looked sexy even though his eyes were still hidden under the bill of his cap. His friend had a similar build but had a light tan to his skin that set off his green eyes. He wore a black button down over jeans, dark chest hair peeking out from behind his buttons. 

"How are you two doing tonight?" 

"Feeling real good," Monika answered, her eyes scanning his body. "What about you?" 

Kenda bit back a laugh. Her friend was anything but modest especially when she was drinking. Throw in the fact that she was looking for a fuck buddy to bring home and her shame was non existent. 

"Better since I saw you. What's your name, cutie?" 

"I'm Monika, this is my friend Kenda." 

"Nice name," Red Sox said. 

Kenda looked over her shoulder at him and his boyish smile. Her stomach flipped. "Thanks. And what should we call you?" 

"I'm Chris, this is Jake."

It was then Chris finally raised his hat up enough to flash his eyes. They were stunning baby blue and Kenda nearly swooned. She was confused as to how a man could look both ruggedly sexy and charmingly soft at once. 

"Well, Chris and Jake, sit with us. Maybe we'll let you buy the next round," Monika said as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. 

* * *

While Monika and Jake drooled over each other, Kenda carried on a conversation with Chris. He was surprisingly funny and kept her wrapped up in every topic they talked about from family to friends to work. Kenda talked about her job as a manager of a warehousing company and Chris talked about how he just finished press for his latest movie. He was thrown off when Kenda admitted she'd never heard of him before mostly because she hardly watched or kept up with movies but it also put him at ease. Most women he met who weren't of some celebrity status only hooked up with him because he was famous. The fact that Kenda had no idea who he was attracted him to her more than he already was. They were so caught up in their own conversation, they didn't notice the club slowly emptying out. They settled their tabs and walked outside, Monika clinging to Jake's arm while Chris and Kenda walked side by side. Jake was saying all the right things to make Monika ask him if he wanted to come back to her apartment. She looked to Kenda who waved her off. 

"Go ahead, I'll get a ride." 

"You sure?" 

"Yeah. I'll be alright."

The two embraced in a hug and Kenda whispered to Monika to be safe. 

"Always," she replied before waving goodbye. 

Chris and Kenda stood on the curb together. 

"I can give you a ride if you want," Chris said as he took his keys from his pocket. 

"I'll just call a cab. It's no big deal," Kenda shrugged. 

"I insist. Plus, I was going to ask you if you maybe wanted to get a bite to eat." 

Kenda thought it over for a moment before agreeing. "You try some shit and I'm out." 

"I promise," Chris held up his hands, "I'll be a perfect gentleman." 

They hadn't known each other more than a couple hours but Kenda wasn't worried being around him. If it were anyone else, her guard would be up but she could tell he was a man of his word. After all, even when he was flirting with her he still kept his distance; No inappropriate touching, no sleazy innuendos or come ons. He was giving off no vibes that he was only talking to her to get in her panties. 

During the car ride, they talked about where they were raised; Kenda was a Mid western girl who lived in Ohio for half her life before her family moved to California while Chris was Boston bred and raised hence his love for the Red Sox. They both shared a love for theatre with Chris taking up acting and tap dancing as a kid while Kenda was more drawn to singing. All through breakfast they never ran out of things to talk about. They made each other laugh at their endless jokes, interest never dissolved as they told stories. Kenda had never connected so well with a man so quickly. She found herself not wanting the night to end but unfortunately they were both getting tired. Chris drove Kenda back to her apartment building and they exchanged phone numbers. 

"So can I see you again soon?" Chris asked. 

Kenda smiled at his hopeful tone. "Sure. When are you free?" 

"My shooting schedule is clear for the next couple months so whenever you wanna get together, just give me a time and place." 

"How does lunch tomorrow sound? We can meet at Phil's Diner around 1." 

"Can't wait." 

There was a moment of silence where they both just looked at one another. Kenda gave a sensual smile and Chris bit his lip. Her dark brown almond shaped eyes were gorgeous and her full lips were begging to be kissed. Chris wanted to blame the alcohol for the urge to want to jump Kenda right there in his passenger seat but in reality she was too sexy for him to resist. He already hated to see her go.

"I'll text you later," Kenda said as she climbed out his car. 

"Goodnight, beautiful." 

She smiled shyly as she closed the door and sauntered into her building. Chris' eyes were glued to her hips as he made sure she was safely inside before he drove off. Even if he hated to see her go, it was a hell of a view watching her walk away.


	2. Chapter 2

_ **'Good morning.'** _

Kenda rolled over at the sound of her phone chiming a text message. Stretching and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she grabbed her phone and looked at the screen. She smiled when she saw Chris' name and was quick to text back. 

_ **'Morning. I didn't expect you to actually text me.' ** _

_ **'Why not?'** _

_ **'IDK I've never had a celebrities phone number before. I was hoping you would text me but hope and reality are two different things.'** _

_ **'I would hardly call myself a celebrity but I think I speak for at least a small percentage of us when I say I'm true to my word when it comes to getting in contact with people. I know most guys probably can't say the same.'** _

_ **'Don't pat yourself on the back too hard there. It might hurt.'** _

_ **'Is that how you read that? Lol' ** _

They spent a half hour texting back and forth before Chris said he would be about another hour and a half once he left a meeting with his agent. Kenda jumped out of bed and ran to her closet. She rifled through all her clothes trying to decide what to wear. It wasn't a date-- at least she didn't think it was-- but her nerves were all over the place like it was a date. Did Chris think it was a date? Was it just a simple lunch? Deciding to keep it semi casual but cute, Kenda tossed a yellow and white sundress onto her bed along with a cardigan. She nudged her flats over to her bed before stripping naked and padding to her shower. Since she blew her hair out the night before, she decided to do a simple wash and go style instead of something overly time consuming. She massaged her coconut co wash into her hair and used her detangling brush to make sure it got to her ends. After three years being natural, her hair finally grew out to the length she had always dreamed of and she had more freedom to play around with it now unlike before. Plus, with the copper colored dye she recently got, it complimented her dark chocolate skin and made her eyes pop. 

With her hair wrapped up in an old tee shirt, she got out of the shower, moisturized and threw on her dress before going about fixing her hair. Some leave in conditioner, curl defining cream and a brush was all she needed to get the look she wanted before plugging in her blow dryer and using the diffuser to dry it all. Opting for minimal makeup, Kenda just put on mascara to make her long lashes look fuller and put on a coat of gloss. Giving one last scan of herself in the mirror, she slipped on her shoes, grabbed her cardigan and purse and left. 

The California heat was on the lighter side for once and that meant Kenda could drive with the windows down instead of having to use her air. Phil's was virtually empty save for about five other cars. The diner was a little hole in the wall that Kenda discovered last year and fell in love with. She went there so many times almost all the staff knew her by name and tried to give her the best seats. 

_**'Just pulled up at Phil's.' **_ Kenda sent Chris the text before getting out of her car and walking to the front door. 

Almost immediately, Chris responded. _**'GPS is putting me there in another five minutes.' **_

Kenda took those five minutes to make sure her hair was okay and fix her dress before Chris finally showed up. He was sporting his Red Sox cap yet again but luckily he wasn't hiding under it like he was the night before. When he saw Kenda standing by the door, he flashed her a perfect smile. Kenda shifted her weight on her feet and sighed to herself. 

"He is so fucking sexy," she muttered. 

As Chris approached, he looked Kenda over. Her outfit was a drastic change from the revealing all black attire from the club but it was cute nonetheless. The yellow of her dress looked good on her skin and her hair framed her face perfectly. Chris could've looked at her body forever; Kenda was curvy and thick in all the right places, carrying a little extra in her hips and thighs which looked too good in her dress. Standing at 5'9, her legs were perfect and seemed to stretch on and on. 

"I like this look," Chris complimented. 

"Thank you," Kenda replied with a smile. "This is my favorite dress. I never wear it for just anyone."

"Oh? Why am I so special?" 

"Who said you were special? I have a date after this," she joked as she swung the door open. 

Chris laughed as he held the door open. "Lucky guy." 

Kenda was greeted by one of the waitresses who escorted them to a booth. "What can I start you off with, Ms. Kenda?"

"I'll have a sweet tea for my drink and some rolls for the table."

"Very good. And for you, sir?"

Chris looked over the menu. "I'll take a lemonade, please."

The hostess smiled and nodded. "I'll make sure Susan delivers everything to you."

"Thanks, Robin," Kenda smiled. 

The young woman walked away leaving Chris and Kenda to themselves. Chris took his cap off and set it next him in the booth. Kenda didn't expect to see his hair buzzed short but it sort of worked for him. 

"I was starting to wonder if that was a permanent fixture on your head."

Chris shook his head and chuckled. "It's just my not so great disguise when I go out. As much as I like meeting fans who might spot me, I try to make sure I can't be recognized for the most part." 

"Isn't that part of the territory though?"

"It is but sometimes a little privacy is all we want. Plus, my anxiety sort of spikes whenever strangers come up to me." 

"Really? You struggle with anxiety?"

"I always have. Dancing actually helps me work through it. My mother introduced me to tap dancing as a kid and that became a release for me." 

"I never would have guessed. So how does that affect you doing what you do for a living?"

"Sometimes it makes press events and stuff like that a little difficult to get through but for the most part, I'm usually okay. I just try to breathe through it and keep calm." 

Their drinks came and they ordered food soon after. Chris loved that Kenda was unashamed in her order of a large burger, fries and chicken tenders. She apologized for seeming gluttonous but Chris shrugged it off, saying he preferred women with a big appetite than the ones who ate like birds in front of men. As their conversations shifted to other topics, Kenda noticed they began flirting pretty heavily. There were "accidental" touches of the hands, stolen glances while one was turned the other way. Chris never found himself so deeply attracted to a woman before and Kenda couldn't stop the butterflies from tickling her belly whenever Chris smiled at her. Before she knew it, she was asking him out on a date, something she never did before. They agreed to go to a blues bar the following night. 

After lunch, they spent some time at a nearby park walking in the waterfront before they went their separate ways. Even when they weren't together, the talking never stopped. Kenda smiled like an idiot as she sat on her couch only half paying attention to the TV while she texted Chris through the night and into early morning. By the next evening, they were arriving at Smokey's Den. The lights were dim inside and air was heavy with the smell of cigarettes, alcohol and food. A band was on stage with an older black man riffing on a bass guitar and humming. While Kenda found a table, Chris went to the bar to get drinks. Kenda was in love with the atmosphere of this place immediately and she already found herself swaying to the music. By the time the song on stage wrapped up, Chris was seated next to Kenda and they were sipping quietly. 

"Ever been here before?" Chris asked. 

"Never," Kenda replied. "I like it though. I've never been to an actual blues bar."

"A friend of mine told me about this place but I never was able to check it out until now. I hear they let the patrons do karaoke too."

"Really?" Kenda perked up. 

Chris noticed and grinned. He was secretly hoping that when he suggested the bar, it would open Kenda up to singing. He was curious to see just how talented she was. After another song, the bass player from before got on stage and announced that the mic was open to anyone who wanted to come up and sing. Kenda hurriedly took another pull from her beer before she looked back at Chris. 

"I'm going in," she said before practically rushing to the stage. 

"Alright, we got a live one," the man said. "What's your name, honey?"

"Kenda."

The patrons whistled and applauded. 

"And Kenda, what do you wanna sing tonight?" Kenda thought for a moment before she whispered in the mans ear. He smiled and relayed the song choice to the band. "Lets give it up for Kenda, ladies and gentlemen."

There was a round of applause as Kenda readied herself and the band started playing behind her. An electric guitar kicked off with the bass following suit and then the drums. A piano player farther off stage fell into rhythm with everyone else. Kenda's nerves were going crazy but this was what she loved about singing in front of others; The rush it brought to her was always so gratifying. 

_'I put a spell on you_

_Because you're mine_

_You better stop the things you do_

_I tell ya I ain't lyin_

_I ain't lyin' _

Chris sat stunned as he listened to Kenda sing. She had the perfect voice, jagged and raspy and deep. The stage lights were just bright enough to almost drown out the audience but even so, Kenda could make out Chris clear as day staring at her with a mix of awe and something that looked like pride. Or perhaps arousal. Internally she felt alive and it showed as she performed, her hips swaying and her eyes downcast. 

_'You know I can't stand it_

_You're runnin' around_

_You know better, daddy'_

Kenda saw Chris smile at her from his seat and she smiled too. She felt oddly powerful singing this particular song at this particular moment. The whole audience was entranced with her voice as she channeled her inner Nina Simone. She improvised a few of her own ad libs but stayed true to the song as best she could. 

_'I can't stand it_

_Cause you put me down_

_I put a spell on you_

_Because you're mine' _

A saxophone kicked in behind Kenda and she hummed her own melody in tune with it. Chris swore she was actually casting a spell over everyone while she moved to the music, losing herself in the short time she had been performing. 

_'I love you_

_I love you _

_I love you_

_I love you anyhow_

_And I don't care if you don't want me' _

As the song got to the final notes and began to close, Kenda belted out one last note in tune with the band. The crowd stood and cheered as the song ended and Kenda thanked everyone with a giant smile splitting her face in two. Hopping off the stage, she went back to her seat. 

"_Holy shit_," Chris said in awe. "You're amazing."

"Thanks," Kenda replied with a shy smile and sipped her beer. 

The bassist got back on the mic. "I don't know about you all but Kenda has got me in a Nina mood. Can we get one more song from her?"

Patrons in the crowd turned to their table and urged Kenda with their words and cheers to get back on stage. Kenda laughed and looked over at Chris who nodded and gave her a nudge out of her seat. As Kenda walked back up, a roar followed her. She told the man her next song and like before he relayed it to the band. Silence fell over the room as the band prepared to follow Kenda's lead. 

_'Birds flying high, you know how I feel_

_Sun in the sky, you know how I feel_

_Breeze drifting on by, you know how I feel _

_It's a new dawn _

_It's a new day_

_It's a new life for me_

_And I'm feeling good'_

The band kicked off and once again, the audience ate up Kenda's performance. She sang with the same soul of the best blues artists. It was like she was meant for the genre. Chris shook his head as he watched Kenda. It was a turn on seeing her on stage and he felt himself hardening beneath the table. Once he made eye contact with Kenda though, it was hard to work past the feeling and he found himself chugging his entire beer like it was water. He mentally cursed her for having such an affect on him just by singing. Before he knew it, she was finishing with one last extended note and the song came to an end. Everyone went nuts for her and Kenda felt high as she got off stage. 

"Damn, that was a rush," Kenda breathed. 

"I gather that song fits your mood perfectly right about now, huh?" Chris asked with a smirk.

"Oh yeah. I'm glad we came here." 

They smiled at one another. Kenda could see his blue eyes looked darker than normal, more hooded. She bit her lip and forced herself to look away. Why did he have the intense power to make a knot form in her lower belly like this? If she had the morals of her younger self, she would've fucked him by now without hesitation. Part of her brain was telling her to but she refused to indulge those thoughts or actions so soon. A stiff drink was needed to chase her beer if she was going to keep her hands to herself the rest of the night. 

* * *

By the time the work week rolled around, Chris and Kenda had little time to see one another. Kenda worked first shift but kept herself busy after work as well whether it was a trip to the gym or going to yoga. That didn't stop them from always keeping the text messages and calls flowing in their free time. They talked about their respective days with Kenda going into detail about employees pissing her off and making her day difficult while Chris talked about the script he was going over for a new movie and where he would be traveling soon. The flirty comments were getting more and more brave with each conversation and Kenda kept suppressing the urge entertain her rambunctious thoughts. That is until she went to bed at night and fantasized about Chris and the things he could do to her while she got off with her vibrator. She hadn't felt this way about a man in a while and she was almost forgetting how to act. Little did she know Chris had the same feelings and found himself picturing her mouth wrapped around his dick while he jerked off in the shower or in bed. 

The next weekend, Chris was picking Kenda up for dinner. The night before had them going to a movie and bowling. Tonight was all about a fancy dinner at a nice restaurant. Kenda wore her best form fitting wrap dress and dug out her _Come Fuck Me_ heels to go with it. Not a hair was out of place and her makeup was flawless as she stepped out of her building to a waiting Chris whose jaw dropped at the sight of her. 

"You look..." he trailed off as he gave her an appreciative look. "I don't even have words."

Kenda grinned. She thought he looked every bit as sexy in his dark dress shirt and matching trousers than he did in his regular clothes. "I don't know if it's better that you don't have words or if you should have words but either way, I'm flattered." 

Chris helped her inside his car before getting in the drivers seat and they were off. As they talked during the drive, Chris felt confident enough to snake his fingers through hers as their hands rested on the center console. Kenda smiled and felt her body get warm and tingly as she kept talking and Chris felt a sense of pride as her fingers gripped his. Inside the restaurant, they sipped wine and laughed over their steak dinners. Even with the money Kenda made, she never splurged on fancy meals for herself like this. Chris made sure to not only treat her but make sure her meal was nothing short of perfect that evening. For dessert, they shared a chocolate mousse and Chris was absolutely no help to Kenda's wild libido as he volunteered to feed her a bite. She thanked God Chris couldn't see her clenching her thighs under the table. However, she was a little upset that she was getting her best thong wet. 

On the drive back, Chris held her hand again and refused to let go. Kenda was on cloud nine and couldn't break her ear to ear smile. She found herself gazing over at him while he was unaware, her chest tightening as she studied every detail of his face. He was so painfully handsome and charming, she couldn't see how he was single this whole time. Chris pulled in front of Kenda's building and just as he helped her into the car, he helped her out and walked her to the entrance. 

"Thank you for dinner."

"It was my pleasure," Chris replied. 

They stood facing one another. The air was thick and heavy with too much unspoken sexual tension. Kenda tilted her head up and planted a kiss on Chris' cheek. Just as she was pulling away, Chris surged forward and met her lips with his own. Kenda was taken aback for a few moments before she found herself sinking into the kiss, her body leaning against his for support. This was something they both had been waiting for. Kenda's lips were just as soft and smooth as Chris imagined and Kenda wanted nothing more than to keep kissing him. The way his beard tickled her skin made her want to giggle and swoon. She couldn't control her tongue as it dipped out to dance with his and he welcomed it happily, his own tasting the red wine and chocolate they shared. As much as they wanted the moment to last, Chris was the first to pull away. 

"Was that too soon?" he asked.

Kenda inhaled deeply before she answered. "Not at all."

"I'll call you when I'm back home."

"You better."

They shared one last lingering kiss and Kenda playfully nipped at Chris' bottom lip making him let out a mix of a growl and a chuckle. Chris walked back to the car and waved as he drove off. Kenda fanned herself with her clutch as she skipped back into her building in a haze.


	3. Chapter 3

The following month passed in a blur for Chris and Kenda; They were arranging dates back to back, meeting wherever they could even if it was only for a few minutes during Kenda's work breaks. Neither one of them were brave enough to make any moves that would take them further than the make out sessions they were growing accustomed to. When Chris would visit Kenda at her apartment, they would plan to only sit and watch movies or catch up on TV shows but eventually Kenda would find herself seated in his lap as their tongues entwined. Chris felt more of an urge to fuck her every time she would rut against his lap. Kenda would grow so wet that she was afraid a flood would leak through her pants. Chris was the first to finally say something about both their hesitation when it came to initiating sex. Kenda had sat curled up next to him while he stroked her skin beneath her shirt. 

"I'm only willing to go as far as you want. I mean we obviously want to but I can tell you're not comfortable yet."

"It's not even that I'm uncomfortable really. I just... I don't know, do you think it would be too soon?"

"How soon is too soon for two people that have been dating a month?" Chris asked with a slight smirk.

"I don't know how to explain it. Like, we've been anticipating it and waiting for it but at the same time I feel like we would be rushing for some reason. I guess I don't want us to decide to sleep together in the heat of the moment. I want our heads to be clear. Does that make sense?" Kenda felt like she was talking in circles. 

Chris nodded. "I understand. This is actually pretty refreshing compared to my past relationships. I'm really picky about who I chose to be in a relationship with. Up until I met you, I'll be honest, I was just hooking up with women. We both wanted one thing and when we got it, we went our separate ways. You're the first woman in a while that I've connected with this well and I actually want to see this go somewhere. I'm fine with us taking our time if that's what you really want." 

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Chris planted a kiss on her temple.

It was quiet for a few minutes before Kenda sat up and looked at Chris with a curious expression. "I have a question."

Chris looked at her and nodded, urging her to continue.

"Am I the first black woman you've been with?" 

"Where did that come from?" Chris grinned.

Kenda shrugged. "Just curious."

"No. There were some before you _but_ you are the first black woman I've dated this long. And what about you? Am I your first white guy?"

"Outside of high school, yes." They both laughed. "He was weird and dorky like I was so we clicked and went out for a couple months. I think I was always a little too nerdy or not 'black enough' -- whatever that means -- for some of the black guys I liked. Even the nerdy ones only liked me to an extent. Hell, in my family I'm considered a bit of an outsider because I was an alternative kid. I had piercings and dyed my hair and did what I wanted. By their standards, I dressed weird and was trying too hard to fit in with others outside my race. The few other kids I managed to find common ground with encouraged me to just ignore everyone else and be who I was so I did. The only people who never treated me different in my family were my parents, my grandma and my cousin. I think everyone else became more accepting after I graduated and slowly transitioned out of that 'phase' as they called it." 

"There's nothing wrong with being different. Doesn't make you any less black to share uncommon things with people in your community. They just need to learn to be more accepting. If they're not, oh well. Keep being yourself and doing what you like." 

Kenda scoffed. "I would love to see you say that to my family. I can only imagine how they'll react if they meet you." 

"_If_?" 

"The Mills/Tanner family are a very opinionated, rowdy, crazy bunch. It'll take time until you're introduced to them."

"You're talking to someone who comes from a family of Italians. I'm no stranger to any of that stuff."

"Mm-hmm. Don't ever say I didn't warn you." 

"I can hold my own. You don't have to worry about me, okay?"

Kenda made an incoherent groan and settled back against Chris' side. "I guess." 

* * *

Kenda had been busy for two weeks having to work overtime in her building and when she called Chris about needing a small getaway from her apartment, he happily whisked her off to his home. It was no surprise that given how private Chris liked to be, his home was located in the Hills away from the suburbs below. Kenda felt her jaw drop at how beautiful the house was. Inside was a spacious and well furnished living room illuminated by the sun coming in through the giant floor to ceiling windows. The kitchen was big enough for its own staff with an island in the middle of the floor and various chrome appliances throughout. Just beyond the kitchen, french doors led to a back patio looking over the hills. The whole place gave off a bachelor vibe while also being homey. Chris took Kenda's bags to his room and soon they were starting dinner together. Chris made sure to warn her that his cooking skills weren't the best but he was willing to try just about anything. Kenda decided to whip up a pot of spicy chicken and Spanish rice, something simple enough for Chris to make on his own if he wanted. While music played from the living room, they laughed and danced while they cooked, sampling bites of food. 

"It's not too spicy is it?" Kenda asked. 

"There's a nice kick but not too bad." 

"So I can make it hotter then?" 

"You trying to kill me?" 

"Maybe I just wanna see you sweat a little bit." Kenda raised her eyebrow suggestively as she smirked. 

Chris shook his head and handed her a bottle of crushed red pepper. "Add as much as you want, sweetheart."

Once the food was finished, Kenda served Chris a bowl before making one for herself. She watched him take his first bite and smiled. His eyes widened as he chewed. 

"Oh my God, this is _so_ good! I can even live with the spice surprisingly." 

"I'm glad. This is one my most popular dishes. Whenever I make it, it never disappoints." 

"I see why." 

They sat at the kitchen table eating while soft music floated in from the living room. The atmosphere was unintentionally romantic; The lowering sun shining through the back doors, Chris refilling their wine glasses as they stared at one another. It was like something out of one of Kenda's cheesy novels she kept hidden in her closet.The whole thing made her smile. After dinner, they both sat on the couch stretched out and cuddled next to another. Sade faded into Jill Scott over the speakers. Kenda sighed as she nuzzled her face into Chris' chest and inhaled his scent. His musk carried a leather and woodsy scent, something oddly fitting in Kenda's mind. Chris let his hands wander into her thick, curly hair and his fingers massaged her scalp firmly which elicited content groans from her. 

"Are you secretly a hair dresser too?" Kenda asked. "Add some warm water, shampoo and a chair and I feel like I'm at the salon right now."

Chris chuckled. "I've heard I have pretty talented fingers but not _that_ talented. Appreciate the compliment though."

"Whoever said you have talented fingers, they weren't lying. Scalp massages need to be your side job."

"Just scalp massages?" 

Kenda smiled. "I'm partial to a good back massage too. Maybe even shoulders on a good day." 

"Hmm. And what about here?" Chris asked as one hand slipped down to cup her ass. 

"That's good too." Kenda raised her head and gave Chris a knowing smile. "How long have you been waiting to do that?" 

"A month. It was worth it."

They both chuckled. 

"I would make a joke about buying me dinner first before you get handsy but it doesn't really apply if I'm the one who cooked, right?" 

"I think the joke falls flat then," Chris chuckled. 

His hand squeezed and kneaded at her ass. It felt nice but part of him wished he could feel her skin without the barrier of clothes. Jill Scott crooning away put Kenda in her element and gave her a push to roll on top of Chris. Placing her hand on the side of his face, she leaned forward and kissed him slowly. Her tongue traced his lips, his beard tickling her face like always. Even though she was hesitant about finally sleeping with Chris, she still wanted to test the waters and have some fun. Her lips trailed from his mouth down to his throat. She could see the small movement of his pulse under his skin. Chris' throat trembled as Kenda tenderly kissed him and let the tip of her tongue drag across his skin. While her lips traveled the length of his neck, her hands pushed underneath his shirt and grazed over his stomach up to his chest where they sat on his pecs. The spattering of hair there felt soft yet rough under her hands. Kenda pushed herself up into a sitting position on Chris' lap and started pulling his shirt off. Chris felt his dick becoming hard as he helped remove his shirt and toss it to the floor. Kenda continued her trail of kisses down from his neck to his chest where she nibbled here and there. Looking up, she could see his eyes were watching her intently, the usual blue pools now darker as if a storm were raging. Her eyes stayed locked to his as she licked further down his stomach, following the line of hair that disappeared beneath his jeans. Chris grabbed Kenda by her arms and pulled her back up until she was eye level with him. 

"How far are we taking this?" he asked. His voice was husky and came out breathless. 

"Not too far." Kenda tentatively reached down and unsnapped the top button of his jeans. "Do you want me to keep going?" 

Chris nodded. "I'd be fucking nuts to tell you stop now." 

Pulling his zipper down, Kenda stuck her hand down his jeans until she felt his bulge straining against his boxers. Her finger maneuvered through the fold and just barely touched his hard skin. Chris inhaled deeply as he watched Kenda and felt her hand wrap around him firmly. He felt heavy and warm, his length pulsing and bobbing inside her hand. Chris felt his patience wavering. He just wanted her to do more. Whatever she had planned he wanted to see her do it then and there. Sitting up, he raised his hips and forced his jeans and boxers down. Kenda felt her mouth watering at the sight of his cock finally free and bowed back against his stomach. He was long and thick, definitely a mouthful. Taking him in both hands, Kenda stroked him up and down. Chris tried to steady his breathing but as soon as he felt Kenda engulfing him in her warm mouth, it felt like he had been punched in the gut. She took her time tasting his skin as she sucked him into her mouth as far she could take him and then pulled back, her mouth leaving with a loud pop. They both admired his dick glistening with her saliva before Kenda dove back in taking no prisoners. Nothing made her more wet than giving head. Chris panting and moaning above her only spurred her on. 

"You look so good with my dick in your mouth," he breathed. 

Chris stroked her face and the innocent look she gave him while she deep throated his cock was enough to make his chest explode. Just when he thought he couldn't more things to love about her, here she was trying to suck his soul out like it would save her life. Kenda moaned as she bobbed her head, her tongue swirling around his head before licking up and down the length of his shaft like an ice cream cone. Chris couldn't remember the last time he had gotten a blow job this good but he knew that he didn't want it to stop. Kenda squeezed her thighs together as she felt wetness pooling in her panties. She wanted to rub her clit to get just a little relief while she blew Chris but she refrained, focusing only on him. Every time her throat constricted around the head of Chris' dick, she felt him tremble. He didn't know what to do with his hands as he constantly switched from having them placed against her face to raking them through his hair. It felt like all the synapses in his brain were firing at once trying to process how good Kenda's mouth felt; From her velvet tongue to her plump lips, every moment she spent sucking him off felt like heaven. He missed this feeling after being single for so long. Suddenly, Chris felt an all too familiar and dreaded feeling building as his balls draw up and tightened. His breathing got more labored and a string of curses were flying from his mouth in quick succession. 

"I'm coming, Kenda. Fuck. I'm gonna come."

Kenda only kept sucking at a more furious pace, readying herself to swallow all he had to offer. With a groan, Chris shot hot, thick ropes of come down Kenda's throat as he fucked her mouth in a desperate attempt to ride out every second of his orgasm. His back stiffened as aftershocks rocked through him, his body locking up from the sheer intensity of how good it felt to come. Kenda pulled away slowly and licked the last salty remnants from his head. She watched Chris try in vain to catch his breath with the biggest arrogant smile on her face. After a minute, Chris looked at Kenda and laughed at her expression. 

"You could suck a bowling ball through a hose, huh?" 

Kenda threw her head back as she laughed. "I'm not that good."

"Oh trust me, you have no reason to doubt yourself when it comes to that. I just came so hard I can't hear out of my left ear. You just ruined blow jobs for me. From now, they can only come from you." 

"I can live with that." 

Chris tucked himself back into his boxers and pulled his jeans up. Kenda crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

"I feel like I need to repay you after that. It's only fair."

"Nope," Kenda shook her head. "It's on the house. I'm not the type to give to receive. I do it because I like it." 

"Still, what kind of guy would I be if I just let you play succubus with my dick and didn't return the favor somehow?" 

"Good point. What do you have in mind for me if I'm allowed to ask?" 

Chris gave a wicked smile and Kenda felt her insides melt. 

"Now why would I disclose that information? I think I'll let you sweat a bit trying to figure it out." 

Kenda whined as Chris giggled and lifted her in his arms as he stood from the couch and started in the direction of his bedroom. 


	4. Chapter 4

Kenda laid on Chris’ bed bereft of her pants and panties, her tee shirt pulled up to expose her belly to his warm and ticklish kisses. She mentally pat herself on the back for shaving the night before. The fluffy throw comforter on Chris' king size bed was soft enough to make her think she would sink into the mattress. The sun had pretty much set outside casting the faintest of light before the moon took over giving the room a dim light. Chris massaged Kenda's thighs down to her calves and then her feet, his fingers squeezing her flesh playfully. 

“You did say you liked my fingers, correct?” Chris asked with a salacious grin. 

Kenda squirmed under Chris’ gaze and his hands. She was still wet from what had transpired in the living room not long before and the fact that the faint tickles at her thighs were sending shocks to her core weren’t helping. 

“I think I said something to that effect. My mind is a little hazy right now." 

Chris reached up to Kenda's face and traced his index finger down to her bottom lip, gently pulling it between his finger and thumb. Kenda puckered her lips and lightly kissed his digits. Before she knew it, he was sliding a finger past her lips and Kenda took it without a thought, her teeth nibbling while her tongue lapped at it with quick flicks. Chris added another finger and watched Kenda accept that one as well. She sucked them hungrily like she did his dick and he was getting hard all over again. Pulling his fingers away, he gave her a quick kiss. 

"Put your arms up behind your head. Try not to bring them down, okay?" 

Kenda nodded and rested her arms underneath the pillow behind her head. Chris allowed his fingers to travel down to the apex of her thighs and graze over her lips tenderly, gathering the moisture and rubbing closer and closer to her engorged clit. Kenda shook in anticipation as Chris paused a mere inch away from her sensitive spot and looked her in the eyes. She felt bound by his stare. It was as if he was telling her, commanding her even, to stay still and enjoy what he was about to do. The first touch of his wet fingertips to her soaking clit felt like a static shock shooting through pussy. Kenda gasped and immediately bucked her hips as Chris massaged her clit, adding a bit more pressure with each rotation. It took everything in her not to move her hands like she was told and she found herself already death gripping the pillow. Chris had since shifted his focus to her clit, watching intently as he rubbed it. Moving lower where he was able to tease her entrance, he collected all the wetness he could gather. His mouth salivated at her juices pooling between her thighs and on his bed and he felt an uptake of pride in knowing he had such an intense affect on her body. He took his time slipping his middle finger into her sex. Kenda arched off the bed a few inches. She was always sensitive but part of her figured she killed half the nerves in her clit from using her vibrator; Yet here she was already rutting like crazy against Chris' hand and biting harshly on her bottom lip to keep from moaning. A second finger joined the first, stretching Kenda's opening. Chris thrust both at a quicker pace enjoying the sound of the squelching wetness loudly filling the room along with her bittersweet scent. Curling his fingers he felt the spot he knew would make Kenda quiver and he wasn't disappointed when she did just that, a gasp catching in her throat. Out of habit, Kenda reached down and grabbed Chris' wrist, not to push him away or stop him but because she needed purchase other than a pillow. 

"Arms up," Chris said, his voice deep. "Keep them up or I'll stop."

Kenda whined but obliged, her hands shakily wrapping around the pillow again. Chris curled his fingers again and used his free hand to put pressure on her pelvis making Kenda bury her face in her arm. 

"_Fuck!_" she moaned, her voice muffled. 

"Let me hear you, sweetheart." 

Chris fucked her harder with his fingers loving the sounds it was pulling from her as she got closer to an orgasm. Her body shook, her chest heaved, her voice was high. He could only imagine how she would act once he could finally have her on his dick fucking her mercilessly. Kenda hurriedly pulled her shirt up and pulled the cups of her bra down so she could pinch and pull her nipples, adding more stimulation that shot straight for her clit. 

"Make me come, Chris," Kenda pleaded. 

He was moving his wrist at painfully urgent pace desperate to give Kenda what she wanted. In seconds, her jaw was falling slack as her back arched and a shriek left her throat as her orgasm rocked every part of her body. As he slowed his pace, Chris bent forward and kissed Kenda hotly, her moans dissipating on his tongue. When her body finally settled, Chris pulled his fingers from her pussy. They were sticky and glossed over with her juices and he sucked them clean like he was licking a frosting covered spoon. 

"Tastes as good as it looks," Chris said with a wink. 

"Please don't do that in front of me or I'm gonna come again." 

"You say that like it's bad." 

Kenda sat up, adjusting her bra and shirt, and looked at the dark spot on Chris' comforter. "Sorry for the mess." 

"The messier, the better." 

"Oh my God, stop saying such filthy things. You're making me all nervous and bothered," Kenda hid her face behind her hair. 

Chris laughed and pulled her into his lap. "What's wrong with that?" 

"Everything, you ass." 

They giggled to each other then fell silent for a minute. Chris admired Kenda in her half naked state with her hair in mild disarray. Her skin was glowing and her eyes were hooded. 

"I think you need to cover up before you get mauled. I'm already hard again and exercising great restraint trying not to fuck the shit out of you right here and now." 

Kenda smirked and threw her arms around Chris' neck, her face inches away from his. "Really?" 

Chris playfully tossed her off his lap and got off the bed as Kenda laughed. 

* * *

Chris laid behind Kenda in his boxers spooning on the couch while she wore her underwear and her tee shirt. They watched Disney movies back to back for half the night. Kenda had only seen a few older movies as a child like Oliver and Company and Sleeping Beauty so Chris was having a ball introducing her to the numerous cartoons she missed into adulthood. At the moment, they were watching Atlantis. Chris absently played in Kenda's hair as she watched the movie, intrigued by every detail and character. 

"I really like the princesses name, Kida. It's so pretty. I think I need to add that to my list of baby names." 

Chris chuckled. "You have a list already?" 

"Honey, I've had a list since I was a girl. All of my top favorite boy names, girl names and unisex names for when I might have trouble deciding. We're all about creative names in my family." 

"How many kids did you wanna have down the line?" 

"Two at the most. There aren't a lot of kids so I never saw myself with a big family. What about you?"

"The opposite. Being one of four, I always wanted a big family once I started having kids. My niece especially brings up the dad urges whenever I see her. She's a sweetheart." 

"Aw, Uncle Chris is a big teddy bear." 

"I really am. I would be embarrassed if I didn't give a shit." 

"You're so cute," Kenda kissed his nose. 

"I try." 

As the night wore on, Kenda was the first to fall asleep in the middle of the marathon. Chris carefully picked her up and carried her to his bed before climbing next to her. He found himself staring at her peacefully sleeping face and her pouting lips and grabbed his phone from his nightstand. He snapped a quick picture and saved it in his gallery before setting his phone back down and snuggling into Kenda's body as sleep overtook him as well. 

* * *

Kenda woke up before Chris and had wandered into the kitchen to get something to drink when she noticed Monika had texted her. She decided to call and spill the details before Chris woke up. 

"Hey, bitch! How's your stay at Hotel Evans?" Monika asked on the other end of Kenda's phone. 

"Five stars so far. We messed around a little bit last night." 

"What?! Tell me everything!" 

"We didn't have sex. I just gave him head. Some of the best he's ever head by the way," Kenda added with a cocky grin. "Then he fingered me." 

"This isn't high school, Ken. You better fuck him and soon." 

"We're waiting."

"For?" 

Kenda felt a wave of embarrassment. "Until...we're ready."

"Sounds like you _are_ ready. You better get yours!" 

"I don't know how to explain but he gets it. We're waiting until the right time. Last night definitely helped get out some of the sexual frustration though." 

"I'll accept that," Monika said with a sigh. Then, excitedly, she asked, "How big is he?" 

"Oh my God, Monika. I could choke on his dick and be perfectly content with it. He has the length, the width, _everything_." 

"I'm mad at you for not doing a little more than sucking him off but at least you know what you get to feel inside you soon."

"And trust me, a bitch can't wait to feel it either. I'm getting wet just thinking about it." 

"Better stop talking to me and go wake his ass up for some morning sex then." 

As if on cue, Chris padded into the kitchen rubbing sleep out his eyes. When he saw Kenda he smiled and walked over to give her a kiss on the cheek. 

"Too late now," Kenda laughed. "I'll call you back later." 

"Okay. Happy dicking." 

Kenda threw her head back as she hung up the phone with a hearty laugh. Chris started the coffee maker and took two mugs out of a cabinet. 

"What's so funny?" 

"Nothing. Just girl talk." 

Kenda laid her phone on the counter and went to stand in front of Chris, hugging her arms around his waist. 

"How'd you sleep?" 

"Good thanks to you." 

"Glad to hear it," Chris patted Kenda on the ass and pecked her on the lips. "You hungry? I don't wanna brag or anything but my pesto eggs are pretty good." 

"That's new. You make your famous pesto eggs then and I'll fry up some bacon." 

"Sounds like a plan." 

The day consisted of Kenda and Chris lounging around his house for the day continuing their marathon and sprinkling in a blow job every now and again. Chris was ready to swear off the act completely until they were able to have sex. With each one, he thought a little more of his common sense was being sucked out as well. Once the weekend was over and Kenda was back home, she already missed her weekend alone with Chris. The whole thing was comfortable and domestic, something she wasn't used to even after her last relationship. She didn't expect to still have butterflies take over her stomach whenever she saw Chris or even heard his voice over the phone after a month but she did. Her heart pumped like a drum, her hands got clammy. For some reason, however, a little voice was telling her not to get too comfortable. How much would things change once he went off to film again? Would he want to break it off? Would she even be able to go visit him? These were thoughts that plagued her brain into the work week but she never once voiced them to Chris. If he so much as gave her an inkling that they wouldn't make it more than a few months, she wasn't sure she could handle it. She was falling for him scary fast and it would be like a knife in the heart to cut their relationship short. It was hard to do but Kenda forced herself to box those thoughts and feelings up and shove them to the farthest place in the back of her head, out of sight and out of mind. If only for a little bit. 

Chris got a call to meet with his agent leaving Kenda in her apartment for the day alone. When her cell rang, she was happy for the distraction. Even happier when she saw the name on her screen. 

"Hello?" 

"Hey, boo!" a loud voice sang on the other end. 

"You have some nerve calling me after all this time with your musty ass," Kenda said with mock pain in her voice. 

Her cousin Shae was 3 years younger than her but that never stopped them from becoming the best of friends in childhood into adulthood. Shae was an outsider in the family just like Kenda but for other reasons. She loved her weed, her parties and dating members of the same and opposite sex, not particularly in that order. Her sexual orientation was a cause of tension for some of the family but that never stopped Shae from doing what she wanted. It wasn't until she got into her first long term relationship with a young man named Sam that the family became convinced that maybe she had settled on the one sex they were okay with her dating. Kenda never cared as long as she was happy and being treated right. 

"I know and I'm sorry! Sam has been wearing this ass out while we've been traveling. You haven't lived until you've fucked on a nude beach." 

"Good lord," Kenda laughed. "Please don't get arrested. I can't afford to fly out to East Jesus nowhere and bail you two deviants out of some foreign jail." 

"Oh please. Anyway, what you been to, boo? Fill me in what I've been missing."

"Well, I'm seeing someone."

"Ooh! Who is he?" Shae asked excitedly. 

"Believe it or not, he's an actor. You know I don't watch movies like that so I don't know what all he's been in but he's pretty popular apparently. His name is Chris." 

"Chris who?" 

"Evans." 

"_What?!_" 

Kenda pulled the phone away from her ear and cringed at Shae shrieking. "Damn, calm down." 

"Chris Evans as in _Captain America_ Chris Evans?" 

"I think that's the superhero he plays." 

"This bitch don't even know what superhero he is," Shae muttered to herself. "You're trying to tell me you're seeing fine ass, white boy actor Chris Evans that was just made bank in of the biggest movies ever?" 

"...Yes?" 

"_What?!_ See, this is why I need to move out there with y'all to LA, get me a fucking rich ass actor or some shit. I'm so upset right now. You stole my baby daddy right from under me, you dirty bitch." 

Kenda snorted as she laughed into her hand. "What's the problem? He said he was well known and everything when we first met but he didn't really go into detail because I don't follow movies or celebrities. He can just be normal around me." 

"How long have you two been seeing each other?"

"Just over a month now. And it's been a bit of a ride. I'm falling hard and fast, Shae. It's scaring me." 

"Shit, I would be too. He's the whole damn package and then some. Ugh, I can't believe you hooked up with motherfucking Captain America! You better bring him to the cookout in a couple weeks." 

"Cookout?" 

"Yeah. Nana didn't call you?" 

Kenda rolled her eyes and sighed. "No, not yet anyway." 

"She called me this morning saying she wants to do a big family cookout at her house in a couple weeks and she wants everybody and their mother there. Sam and I will be back home next week so it worked out for us. Maybe you guys can fly up with your parents." 

The thought made Kenda want to puke. She still hadn't introduced Chris to her parents yet. On top of that, the moment she dreaded was coming up where she would have to introduce him to her family as well. And so soon.

"Fuck," Kenda groaned. "I'm not gonna have the energy for that." 

"I'll be there with you, boo. It won't be so bad. You can stay for a day and escape back to the land of silicon the next. The family will love Chris anyway." 

"Our judgmental, uppity ass family will love 'always-trying-to-be-white' Kenda's white boyfriend? Famous boyfriend at that?" 

"Yes! And if they don't, who the fuck cares? You know we got a bunch of jealous hoes in our family. When they see you with that fine piece of ass on your arm, the only thing they're gonna be talking about is how mad they are that they're not you. Now, will you come, pretty please?" 

After an extended period of silence, Kenda finally gave in with a heavy sigh. "For you." 

"Good. And make sure you bring my baby daddy with you. I'm not playing, Kenda. I will fuck you up if he's not there." 

"Alright, damn. I heard you the first time." 

"Okay. Now I gotta go. I got Sam tied up in the bedroom. I don't want him to get bored." 

"I can't stand you," Kenda laughed. "I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"Love you, boo!"


	5. Chapter 5

_ 'You've gotten into my bloodstream_

_I can feel you flowing in me' _

* * *

Kenda secretly hoped that when she told Chris about the cookout that he would be busy that weekend but unfortunately, his schedule was open and he was more than excited to go. It hit her then that not only was he about to meet her family which she was already dead set against but he also had to meet her parents. She wasn't as worried about the latter but for some reason, she was still nervous. They would have no reason not to like Chris, that much she knew, but with this being her first relationship in a while, she was a little hesitant to already be at this stage so quickly it seemed. 

"Babe, calm down. I need you to stop stressing out so much over this. It's just one weekend with your family. Get excited," Chris said as he pulled Kenda by the waist. 

"I know but..." 

"No 'buts', okay? I'm excited and you should be too."

Kenda nodded and laid her forehead against his chest. Chris kissed the top of her head. "Just so you know, my cousin lost it when I told her about you so you already have a fan waiting to meet you."

"That's flattering," Chris chuckled. "It's always nice to go somewhere and have people automatically like you." 

"Yeah well she might also try to steal you too so keep an eye out." 

"I say good luck to her. I can't be stolen from you that easy." 

"I would hope not," Kenda said as she tilted her head up to give Chris a kiss.

Kenda and Chris took a car to pick up Kenda's parents in the San Fernando Valley early in the morning. Kenda felt her nerves getting the best of her the closer they got to her old home. Her palms were sweating and she kept wiping them on her jeans. Chris grabbed on her hand and planted a kiss on the back. 

"Relax." 

The car pulled into the driveway and Kenda hopped out with Chris following. Walking up to the front door, Kenda rang the doorbell and waited, holding her breath the whole time. Approaching footsteps came to the door and a moment later it opened to reveal a lovely short, caramel skinned woman with dark eyes that Kenda favored and a light brown pixie haircut. When she smiled, a dimple creased her left cheek. She looked old enough to be Kenda's sister, not her mother. Chris was taken aback for a second. 

"Hi Mom," Kenda greeted her with a hug. 

"Hello, wonderful daughter who can never pick up her phone. How are you this morning?" 

Kenda sighed but smiled. "I know, I know. I gotta call more. I'm sorry."

"Mm-hm." She glanced past Kenda at Chris. "Is this the someone you were planning to bring?"

"Yeah. Chris, this is Adina, my mom. Mom, this is Chris. My...boyfriend." 

Adina's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she looked between her daughter and Chris. "Boyfriend? Well, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Mills." 

"Oh please honey, call me Adina. After meeting our family, you'll be family as well. Even if my daughter hid you away from us." 

While Chris laughed, Kenda rolled her eyes. "Mom," she started.

"Hush girl," Adina said as she walked off. 

Kenda shook her head. Chris pulled her into his side and kissed her temple. "So far I like your mom." 

"I bet you do," Kenda deadpanned. 

From upstairs, heavy footfalls made their way across the floor until they traveled down the steps and rounded the corner. The dark skinned man that came into view was tall and handsome with a shaved head and a salt and pepper goatee. Kenda seemed to favor him more than her mother. Upon seeing Kenda, he smiled. 

"Kenny G! How you been?" he asked enthusiastically as he embraced her. 

"Hi, Daddy," Kenda cringed at the nickname. 

The man pulled away from Kenda and looked over at Chris. "How are you, young man? I'm Sterling. Good to meet you."

They shook hands as Chris introduced himself. "Chris. And I'm doing well. Good to meet you as well, sir." 

"This is the boyfriend," Adina cut in with a cheeky smile aimed at her daughter. 

"I kinda figured when she said she would be bringing someone with her. We know all her friends so it had to be a guy. How's my baby treating you?"

Chris shrugged. "Aside from a little abuse here and there, I can't complain." 

Kenda's parents laughed as she cut her eyes at Chris and smacked her lips. 

"Just like her momma," Sterling said as he lovingly wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder. 

Adina slapped his stomach and pushed him away. "Shut up." 

"See?" 

As her parents went to go get their bags, Chris turned to Kenda. "So... Kenny G?" An amused smile crossed his face. 

Kenda gave him a shameful look. "My middle name is Georgette. A very unfortunate middle name and nickname." 

"It's cute. Can I call you that?" 

"If you ever wanna have sex with me, I'd avoid using it." 

* * *

A six hour flight finally dropped the four of them in Columbus where they got a rental car to drive to Kenda's grandma's house. Though she loved LA and wouldn't want to live in Ohio again, she couldn't help feel the pull of homesickness from her used to be home. Just driving through the city she remembered what she liked about it. They entered Upper Arlington and she gazed at all the neighborhood houses, some familiar and some not. They finally reached their destination and there were already a few cars parked in the driveway leaving the curb for everyone else. When she got out of the car, Kenda was hit with the smell of barbecue coming from the back yard. Voices were just audible over music playing. Inside, the house smelled of collard greens and Kenda felt her mouth water. 

"Mom!" Adina called out. "We're here!"

"In the kitchen!" Nana called back.

They all migrated to the kitchen where a tiny little lady was limping around the kitchen tending to five different dishes. She turned toward everyone and smiled. Aside from her grey hair, she looked just as young as her daughter. Her smile was warm and inviting as she opened her arms for a hug. 

"It is damn good to see you all after so long! C'mere." Adina hugged and kissed her mother and Sterling came behind to envelope the tiny woman in a hug. "And there's Nana's Girl! Look at you!" Kenda hugged her grandmother tightly.

Nana was both grandma and mother to every member of the family. When she was around, nobody went without. She was always quick to give tough love when needed or be a shoulder to cry on or an ear to vent to. If there was anybody who could expose any member of the family with dirt, surely it was Nana. She was the matriarch that people only thought existed in movies. 

"I missed you, Nana," Kenda said. 

"I've missed you, too. How've you been? You eating enough out there?" 

"Of course," she laughed. 

"Just making sure. You know how all those folks starve themselves out there." 

"You know I'm never one to starve myself." 

"Trust me, baby, I know. And whose this handsome man?" Nana pointed to Chris. 

"Nana, this is my boyfriend Chris. Chris, this is the Alpha, the Beta, the Omega of the Tanner/Miller clan, the great and wonderful Nana Mary." 

"_Ooh_! It's so nice to meet you, Chris. Give me a hug," she beamed. 

Kenda smiled and felt a rush of feelings taking over her body in that moment. All the nerves from before finally went away and she knew then that Chris would be accepted here. Kenda's parents went outside leaving just the three of them in the kitchen. Nana pulled back from Chris and gave him a once over. 

"Look at that handsome face. I know you've broken some hearts for sure." A light shade of pink rose in Chris' cheeks as he chuckled at Nana's words. "You ever had homemade collard greens, baby?"

"I can't say I have." 

"Well you about to learn today. Grab a fork out that drawer over there. You're gonna be my taste tester." 

"Nana!" Kenda said, smacking her lips like an upset child. "What about me?" 

"Little girl, you know what these greens taste like. Hush up and go outside." 

Chris gave Kenda an arrogant smile as he took a fork from the silverware drawer and Kenda mouthed "_Fuck. You_," before going to the backyard. Her parents had already gotten comfortable at a picnic table with her aunts and uncle and were talking animatedly. Kenda joined in and said her hello's as she took a seat. They all caught each other up on missed holidays, birthdays and in between from the past years. Chris eventually stepped outside and met everyone before taking a seat next to Kenda. 

"How was taste testing?" 

"Your Nana has to make collard greens for me on a regular basis now. I don't care if I have to fly out here every week, they're becoming a part of every meal from now on," Chris spoke with a seriousness that was comical. 

Kenda laughed. "You think the greens are good, you haven't even had the fried chicken or the mac and cheese. I'll get you right, babe." 

One by one, more family members showed up and soon everyone was having a good time. Music was loud, conversations were going, drinks were being poured. Kenda was overjoyed that Chris was being accepted by nearly everyone there. As expected however, Melissa, one of Kenda's cousins, had a habit of passive aggressively making off handed comments and they were in full swing when she met Chris. Kenda grew annoyed with each comment but refused to let it ruin her evening. A loud shriek from the back porch alerted everyone that Shae had finally arrived and Kenda jumped to her feet to run to her younger cousin. The two jumped and squealed as they hugged one another and spoke rapidly. 

"Okay boo, where's my husband? I know you brought him with you," Shae asked as she scanned the backyard. 

Kenda linked arms with her and walked her to the table where Chris sat. Shae audibly gasped seeing him and froze mid step making Kenda stop beside her. 

"What?"

"That's actually him," Shae said in shock. "You weren't lying."

Kenda giggled. "Chris!" 

His head snapped up at his name being called and he stood when Kenda waved him over. He approached the two women with a charming lopsided grin. 

"This must be Shae." 

"The one and only," Kenda replied. "Shae, meet your boy toy."

Shae looked from Chris to Kenda back to Chris. "Oh my God."

"Nice to meet you, Shae." Chris was amused at the interaction. Or lack thereof. 

In no time, the initial shock passed and Shae was acting like her normal self again; She sat with Chris for an hour and asked him about his movies and what it was like working with the people he got to work with. Of course, she couldn't let five minutes go by without bringing up how good he looked which made Chris laugh. Afterward, Kenda and Shae caught up with each other while Chris and Sam got to know each other. Sam was shy compared to Shae but he still fit into the craziness of the family well. Every outburst or crude joke he had grown used to and he told Chris he would grow to love it all soon. The last of the food finally came off the grill and the family gathered around for the blessing before they were free to pile their plates. All of Kenda's aunts practically tried to feed Chris food and even when he was full and looked like he might pass out, he still went back for more as well as desert. Kenda was glad she brought him on this trip with her. But of course, with every good thing came unwanted thoughts of how much things would change when Chris would have to leave in the near future. All the noise faded to silence as a frown overtook her smile and Kenda slumped in her seat slightly. Chris immediately took notice. 

"Hey, you okay?" He searched her eyes. 

Adjusting her posture, Kenda inhaled deeply and leaned over to give Chris a kiss, her hand lingering on his cheek. Pulling away, she put on her best smile. "Yeah. I'm good."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What better way to celebrate your own birthday at home alone than writing?

After spending the night at a hotel and having lunch with her parents and Nana, Kenda and Chris caught a flight back to LA in the afternoon. They both took a car back to Kenda's apartment and immediately fell into her bed for a nap. Two hours later, they were awake and cuddling close to one another reminiscing about the cookout. 

"Thank you for coming with me," Kenda said. 

"Thanks for inviting me. I had a good time."

"You're not just saying that are you?" 

"Of course not. If anything, you over exaggerated how 'crazy' your family actually is. They were pretty tame."

"That was the first meeting. Give them more time. Soon you'll be hearing stories about me that should never see the light of day." 

"Promise?" 

"Unfortunately. I've tried my best to keep you sheltered, little one." 

Chris shook his head as he pulled Kenda closer and kissed her head with a chuckle. "You did your best." 

After a while Kenda sat up and stretched her arms and back. "I feel like I need to wash the plane ride off. You wanna join me in the shower?" 

"I'll wash your back if you wash mine," Chris smirked. 

"Deal." 

Kenda stood from the bed and began stripping down as she made her way to the bathroom. Chris' eyes stayed glued to her body as her hips switched from side to side, more and more skin being revealed. A rush of blood hit his dick and he took a steadying breath as he pushed himself from the bed and followed her. 

Their shower was more intimate than either one of them thought it would be; Chris was overly tender and gentle as washed Kenda from head to toe and Kenda took the time to give Chris a scalp massage as she washed his hair. In between their tasks, they shared lingering kisses, each one making Kenda's heart stutter. Post shower, they wrapped themselves in towels and walked back to the bedroom. Kenda grabbed her bottle of lotion off a nearby dresser and perched on the foot of the bed. 

"Want some help?" Chris asked. 

Kenda smirked as she popped open the bottle and squeezed some of the lotion onto her hands. "Do you actually wanna help or do you just wanna grope me?" 

"Can't I do both?" he shrugged.

They both laughed, Kenda shaking her head at Chris. "You get my legs, I got my arms." 

"Yes ma'am." 

Chris sat next to Kenda on the bed and picked up one of her legs to set it on his lap. Taking the bottle, he squeezed a generous amount into the palm of his hand before rubbing it in and massaging it into Kenda's skin starting at her ankles. Coconut mixed with the smell of her eucalyptus body wash as the two went about their task. Chris worked his way up one leg before moving to the other, taking time to plant kisses the further up he moved. It was just another surprisingly intimate encounter to Kenda. Something as simple having someone else rub lotion on her body had her feeling hot and bothered. No other man treated her with this particular level of tenderness but then, she never thought to voice it. Chris had an intuitiveness about him when it came to sensuality and made her stomach knot up at every turn. It didn't help matters when Chris got to her inner thigh and accidentally tickled her lips with his fingers. Kenda jumped at the contact. 

"What?" 

"Nothing. Just a little ticklish," Kenda tried to shrug off the reaction. 

"Is that what it's called?" Chris gave her a sly smirk and brushed his fingers over her lips again.

"Stop it!" Kenda swatted his hand away. If she could blush, her face would have been beet red in that moment. 

"Stop what? It was just an innocent touch. Besides, if you're reacting like this, I think I'm doing something right, huh?" 

"Nope." 

"Are you sure?" Chris asked as he poked at Kenda's side. "I think you might be lying." 

As he kept poking and squeezing her sides, Kenda began to laugh as she tried to back away. "I'm not lying so stop tickling me." 

"I don't think I should." Chris followed her as she backed further onto the bed. "In fact, this is pretty fun." 

Grabbing Kenda's legs, Chris pulled her down onto her back and pinned her down while he unleashed a barrage of poking and tickling. Kenda flailed and tried to kick him away all while laughing hysterically, trying to tell him to stop between gasps for air. Soon, the assault slowed to a stop as Chris leaned down and kissed Kenda. Her laughs melted into moans in his mouth as she finally calmed down and wrapped her arms around his neck, falling deeper into the hold his lips had on hers. Chris’ hand kneaded her thigh beneath the hem of her towel and Kenda pulled him flush against her. Kenda didn’t know if other factors helped make this decision possible but she decided then she was ready to finally take the big step into territory that could change their relationship as they knew it so far. 

“I’m ready,” she said as she pulled away from Chris. 

“For what?” Instead of an answer, Kenda pushed her hips up to meet his. “Oh. Are you sure?” 

Kenda kissed him. “Never been more sure of anything. I want this. I want you. Right now.” 

Chris smiled. “About damn time,woman.” 

Kenda unwrapped her towel and lifted up before unceremoniously tossing it to the floor. Chris followed suit, throwing his own towel next to hers. They took a minute to admire one another from head to toe before continuing from where they left off; Chris kissed his way from Kenda’s lips to her neck, sucking and nibbling gently. Kenda let her hands wander through Chris’ hair and over his broad shoulders down to his back. His lips trailed down from her neck to her breasts, tenderly wrapping around her hardened nipples, gently tugging at them. Immediately she felt the shocks from the stimulation hit her clit. Chris released her nipple with an audible pop and proceeded to lick a trail from her breasts to the edge of her belly button. Her thighs were treated to tender kisses before Chris slowly inched his way toward Kenda’s center, her sweet and musky scent making his mouth water. Kenda watched him with a deep concentration, her body almost vibrating in anticipation for his mouth to meet her.   
  
”Keep your eyes on mine. Okay?”   
  
Kenda nodded enthusiastically. “Okay.” 

Chris’ blue eyes darkened, his pupils blown, as he leaned forward and licked a long, torturous strip up her sex. The tip of his tongue danced over her clit in quick flicks making Kenda gasp. After a few more teasing licks, he went to work feasting on her pussy like it was a dessert. The combination of the warm, softness of Chris’ expert tongue mixed with his beard scratching and grazing over the sensitive skin of her lips created an almost over stimulating feeling. Chris gripped Kenda by her thighs and pushed them up, spreading her pussy wider. The more he got into tasting her and watching her writhe beneath him, the louder his eating got and the louder his own moaning filled the air.   
Kenda placed her hand on the back of Chris’ head and ground her pussy against his tongue eager to feel the build in her lower belly. 

“Not yet, baby. I want you coming on my dick first,” Chris said as he rose from between Kenda’s thighs with salacious grin. He wiped her juices from his mouth, savoring her taste. 

Kenda groaned in disappointment even though his words made her twice as wet as she already was. She loved how commanding he could be even when they were being intimate. 

”Fine,” Kenda pouted. 

“Let me grab a condom.” Chris moved to get off the bed when Kenda stopped him. 

She reached over and opened a drawer of her nightstand revealing a couple toys and a box of condoms. Chris chuckled above her as he tried to get a closer look. 

“What a cliche hiding spot.” 

“Don’t judge me.” Kenda giggled.

She swiped a condom from the box before closing the drawer back. She noticed a small tremble in her fingers as she unwrapped the foil before sliding the latex out.

“Want me to do it?” 

“I got it.” 

Kenda firmly took Chris’ shaft in her fingers and gave it a couple strokes before she slowly rolled to condom down onto his cock. Chris was already throbbing so much it was painful but he swore he grew harder just from this action alone. He resettled between her legs and used his hand to guide himself to her opening. With the tip nudging between her folds, Chris paused. 

“Look at me, Kenda.” 

She met his eyes equally heavy with the lust she had in hers. She bit her lip as Chris slowly pushed his thick cock into her soaking wet opening. A drawn out sigh shuttered past Chris’ lips at the feeling of finally being able to nestle deep inside her tight pussy. He felt just as good as Kenda thought, every inch of him already massaging her channel. Her legs wrapped around his waist and pushed deeper. Fully sheathed inside her, he paused. 

“Is this okay?” Chris asked in a low voice.

Kenda nodded. “You feel so good.” 

Chris gave a half smile as he kissed her deeply, his hips slowly starting to move. Kenda wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close to her body as she relaxed, graciously taking every inch Chris had to offer her. With each thrust, she could feel him pulsate inside her. Chris eventually picked up the pace, his gentle motion growing quicker in speed as he pushed himself as deep as he could possibly go. Kenda moaned and stuttered as her body built closer to an orgasm. Her legs tried desperately to stay wrapped around Chris but were slowly giving way, her body losing control from how overwhelmingly good Chris' strokes felt. He rotated and thrusted his hips, ripping her orgasm right from her. Kenda came harder than she thought she would, her brain going fuzzy and her body locking up as heat radiated all over her. Chris never faltered as he tried to get her through every last wave until her moans subsided to winded gasps.

"_Shit_," Kenda breathed.

"You okay?" The arrogant smile on Chris' face said the words he actually wanted to. 

"That was worth the wait. But...why didn't you come?"

Chris hid his internal struggle not to show just how badly his dick wanted burst as he answered. "I wanted this first one to be about you. I can wait for mine."

"Aren't you generous?" Kenda smiled. "You didn't have to hold back on my account though. I've made you do that long enough."

"As true as that is, I have a rule that my partner always come first."

"Well, now it's your turn." Kenda rolled Chris onto his back. "Let me see what I've been missing all this time."

* * *

Kenda never thought spending 24 hours doing nothing but fucking Chris and herself into exhaustion would be such an entertaining past time but somehow they never ran out of things to do or try. Chris was thankful that Kenda was way more of a freak than she ever let on but it also took him by surprise; With each new introduction of something being added to their sexual inventory, he swore he could feel himself falling in love with her over all of this alone. Even when they told themselves they were taking a break, they still ended up in some compromising position whether it was in the kitchen, the shower or -- somehow-- Kenda's closet.   
  


They both lay in Kenda’s bed, her sheets in disarray, the comforter long since slumped onto the floor along with various condom wrappers and toys. An abandoned pizza box and plates adorned the nightstand, an almost empty two liter next them. Chris had his head resting on Kenda’s stomach planting an occasional kiss here and there. Kenda absently stroked his beard.   
  


“I don’t know what I’m gonna do without you once I leave. After all of this, I think I might have to call the director and tell him to recast my part,” Chris said. 

"I agree but at the same time, you're being just a little over dramatic don't you think?" 

"Not at all. In fact, I'm not being dramatic enough. Women always talk about how they get hypnotized by dicks and I think I finally understand it." 

"You mean you've been...pussytized?" Kenda burst out laughing at her own bad joke to the point tears filled her eyes. 

Chris just stared at her with an amused yet disappointed smile. "Jesus. I hope you're ashamed of yourself." 

Despite protests from both sides, Chris eventually came to the conclusion he had to get back home for both rest and clean clothes. After one final session that left Kenda too sated and weak to leave her bed, Chris gave her a goodbye kiss and slipped out the door. Later, she was startled awake by her cell phone ringing. She answered it still half asleep. 

"Ooh. Bitch, are you sleep?" Shae asked on the other end of the phone. 

"I was." 

"Why? It's too early to be passed out." 

"It's Chris' fault. All I'm gonna say is I'm worn out so a nap is more than needed." 

Shae squealed on the other end of the phone. "What happened?!" 

"Everything, honey. I'll tell you when you're older." 

"Don't play me, bitch! Tell me all of it!" 

Kenda laughed as she sat up in bed, tugging her sheet up over her chest. "Too much went on for me to remember everything. But you know how it is in the beginning; Can't keep your hands to yourself, always all over each other and fucking 24/7. That's basically what the last day and a half has been. If these walls could talk..." she trailed off. 

"You make me sick. That's that _'cook you breakfast in the morning, introduce me to your parents, put a ring on it'_ dick." 

"Trust me, if we were still going right now, I would be the one asking him to marry me. Shit, when he had me in the shower calling out everything but the Lord's name, I was ready to do anything he would've asked." 

Shae laughed heartily and clapped on the other end. "This is the first time I've heard or seen you like this with someone. I mean good dick can turn anyone out but you seem... I don't know. I can tell he's doing something good for you, Ken." 

"Yeah." Kenda smiled as she looked off into nowhere thoughtfully. "I just hope we can keep the same vibe once he leaves for filming. I've never been one for long distance relationships but damn, I want this to work." 

"If you both really care this much, then you'll work it out." 

"What if we don't?" 

"I know you will. He's making you happy. I think any man you're willing to bring around our family is worth it." 

Kenda nodded. 

"Maybe you're right."


	7. Chapter 7

Chris’ shooting schedule was pushed back a couple weeks offering he and Kenda just a little more time together. Every possible moment they got together was spent either going out on romantic dates or staying at one another’s house having sex until the sun came up. Chris had noticed a slight change in Kenda’s behavior; There would be small moments where her mood would turn somber and her smile would be less bright. It finally took a serious conversation post bath for Kenda to confess her feelings regarding Chris leaving.   
“Okay babe. Tell me what’s up.” Chris pulled Kenda’s hair into a bun for her.   
“What do you mean?”   
“You’ve been acting sad lately. Like you’re a million miles away.”   
Kenda shrugged. “I’m right here.”   
“But you’re not. Talk to me, please.”   
“I didn’t wanna say anything,” she started, “but... I’ve been kinda nervous the closer it gets to you having to leave. Maybe even a little scared too.”   
“Why?”   
“I’ve never done the long distance thing before and the thought of it makes me so nervous. I’m not completely confident that I can stand you being away for weeks or even months at a time.”   
Chris smiled sympathetically and wrapped his arms around her waist.   
“I get it and I feel the same way. I love every moment we’ve been spending together and, honestly, I already miss you. You don’t have to worry though, okay? The way I feel about you — about us — makes me believe we’ll be perfectly fine. If you could come with me, everything would be so much easier. But we’ll make it work, baby. Trust me.”   
Kenda looked into Chris’ blue eyes and saw nothing but sincerity and hope. It gave her just the smallest bit of a boost in confidence but not by much. She couldn’t bring herself to admit to him though as she smiled and kissed him.   
“I trust you.”   
  


Kenda awoke to quite the surprise the next morning when she saw Chris on his phone.   
“She’s waking up now. Okay, I’ll see you soon. Love you too. Bye.”   
Kenda wiped the sleep from her eyes as she sat up and stretched. “Was that your other girlfriend?”   
Chris chuckled. “Yeah, she says hi. Smartass. I just finished planning a bit of an impromptu trip for us to take. I’m telling you in advance so you can let your job know.”   
“An impromptu trip, huh?” Kenda raised an eyebrow. “Where are we going?”   
“I kinda want it to be a surprise but I’m excited so... we’re flying out to Boston so you can meet my family.”   
“Wait, what? Are you serious?” she smiled.   
“I am. I’ve been waiting to do this. Just wish it wasn’t so soon before I have to leave.”   
“Me too but I’m excited. I’ve never been to Boston before.”   
“You’ll love it. And my family will love you. So make any arrangements you need to because we leave in a couple days.” Chris gave Kenda a peck on the cheek before getting out of bed. 

Kenda excitedly grabbed her phone and sent a text to Monika and Shae.   
_**‘I’m meeting his family!!!‘**_  
Shae was the first to immediately text back.   
**‘AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!‘**   
Monika responded soon after.   
**‘Bitch he’s putting a ring on it. I’m calling it now.‘ **  
Kenda shook her head as she smiled and dialed the number to her job.   
Two days later, they were boarding their flight to Boston. After five hours, they landed and made their way through the airport with no recognition towards Chris. As they got closer to the front doors, someone called Chris’ name from nearby. Trying to find where the voice came from, he finally locked eyes with someone and smiled.   
“There he is. Come on,” he pointed.   
Kenda followed him toward a man the same height as Chris who somehow looked both similar and different to him.   
“Scotty!”   
“Welcome home, man.”   
They embraced one another and exchanged pleasantries.   
“Scott, this is Kenda. Kenda, this is my brother Scott.”   
“It’s about time this asshole introduces you to us. Nice to meet you.” Scott opened his arms for a hug and Kenda reciprocated.   
“Nice to meet you, too.”   
They stood around for a few minutes talking and exchanging pleasantries before a few lingering stares had them rushing out of the airport.   
  
  


During the car ride, Scott questioned Kenda on any and all facts about her. A bond immediately formed between the two and Kenda was playfully teasing him before they knew it.  
“You’re gonna fit in perfectly around us,” Scott said happily.  
Kenda felt warm and relaxed and wondered if Chris felt the same way when it was him being introduced to her family. Chris slid his hand over her shoulder in the front seat and Kenda lightly kissed his fingers. She couldn’t see his face but she could tell he was giving her that signature smile of his and her chest fluttered.  
Chris’ childhood home was a small one in an old suburb. The dark grey house was accented by colorful flowers planted out front. Scott parked the car in the driveway and helped Kenda with her bags.   
“I’m back!” Scott called out into the house as the the house.   
Along the walls were pictures of Chris and his siblings at various ages, both by themselves and together, smiling wide and happily. Kenda smiled as she looked at each picture.   
“As you can see, I always looked like a dork,” Chris said. He stopped next to Kenda and eyed the photos with her.   
“Stop it. You were adorable. Especially with that bowl cut.”   
They both laughed, Chris’ face flushing pink in embarrassment. “Don’t judge me.”   
Kenda turned and kissed his cheek. “We’re allowed to judge each other for poor choices we made with our hair and clothes as kids. So you get all my judgment.”   
“I guess that’s fair.”   
“Christopher!” A woman called from another room.   
“And there’s my mother,” Chris shook his head. “Come on.”   
They linked hands and walked to the living room where Scott was already sitting comfortably with an older, blonde woman. She turned and smiled once she saw Chris and Kenda.   
“Hi, honey!” she said to Kenda. “It’s good to finally have you here. I’m Lisa. I hope the ride with these two wasn’t terrible.”  
They hugged as Kenda laughed. “Not too terrible. They gave me a few laughs here and there.”   
Lisa guided Kenda to the couch and sat next to her while Chris went off to get drinks. They all sat and talked for a couple hours getting to know Kenda and making her feel welcome. By the time dinner came around, that was when the entertainment started. Chris and Scott were constantly riffing off one another and telling stories, a few of which their mother hadn’t heard until that night. Kenda laughed to the point of crying and clutched her stomach begging the guys to stop. Just like Chris felt welcome amongst Kenda’s family, Kenda felt just as welcome with his. 

The following day, she was introduced to Chris’ sisters, Carly and Shanna. They were overwhelmingly sweet, their humor much more tame compared to their brothers but they could definitely throw out their own snide comments when they wanted to.   
By the time the trip was over, Kenda felt a familiar tug on her heart. As they sat on the plane, she locked eyes with Chris to see him giving her the same look.   
“What did I do to deserve you?” Chris stared lovingly.   
“I’m asking the same thing.”   
They kissed and drifted off to sleep. 

* * *

Their last night together was spent doing one thing they knew for a fact they were good at. Unlike most times when sex between them was rough and full of bruising kisses, this time it was slow. Exploratory. Sweet. With every orgasm Kenda clung to Chris like life depended on it. He savored every inch of her body, committed it to memory. The way her full curls smelled of lavender oil, the softness of her chocolate skin, the glow of happiness deep in her eyes. Chris felt a pang in his chest as he held Kenda in his arms as she slept.   
“I love you.”   
He knew she wouldn’t hear him so deep in her sleep but it felt good to say it anyway because it was true. He never felt so strongly for anyone else before Kenda and he was sure no one else would ever make him feel like this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some creative liberties with dates and time periods that correlate with Evans’ shooting schedules and movie premiere dates so if something sounds off to you, that’s why. I had trouble pinpointing that particular info. Also, I’ve been googling as much as possible to learn about Evans’ family to keep this is as close to accurate as possible. Hopefully this reads well regardless.


	8. Chapter 8

_ **Fall ** _

_‘_ _I've been thinkin' 'bout you_  
_Wondering who's stuck in your head at night_  
_Wonder if I ever cross your mind_  
_Keeping you up in your bed at night’ _

It had been four weeks since Chris left and Kenda was already going nuts. She missed waking up to see him lying next to her. She missed being able to kiss him. She missed the little things. Ever since he left, they spoke on the phone every chance they got and she even bought a laptop so they could Skype during his breaks between filming. It wasn’t the same as being able to see him in person of course but it was better than nothing.   
Chris was enjoying being on a set again but he also missed being with Kenda. Not being able to hold her or just be around her was almost painful. He found himself always replaying their last night together in his head and it offered comfort some nights. Being able to hear her voice before he went to bed always helped him sleep peacefully.   
With Chris being gone, Kenda tried to find ways to busy herself. When she wasn’t working, she was out with Monika at a club or just kicking back at home by herself with a drink. 

“Hi!” Kenda sang to her laptop screen.   
Chris smiled on the opposite side. “Hi. How are things?”   
“Same shit, different day. Work, home, sleep, chill. Rinse and repeat. How’s filming?”   
“Great. We have a long night ahead of us though filming this next scene. I’m excited but nervous.”   
“Ooh, can you tell me what happens?”   
Chris gave Kenda a flat, stoic look that made her laugh. She made it a little game to try to get Chris to give away plot details but he always kept his mouth closed. “You look really cute covered in all that dirt and soot.”   
“I feel cute. Especially after it’s been on me for over 10 hours.”   
“You’re making the peasant look work. This might be a new kink for me.”   
“Yeah okay,” Chris laughed. “I refuse to dress like an Oliver Twist character for when I come home to fulfill whatever fantasy you come up with.”   
“You’re no fun.”   
They talked for an hour before Chris was called back for shooting. Somehow, just for a little bit, Kenda would forget that Chris was working whenever they talked. Her heart sank when he would tell her that he had to go. She always wanted just five more minutes to see his face or share another story but there was never enough time. It wasn’t until a conversation with Shae that an idea was sparked to start having more fun with their video calls from then on.  
  
~~~

Kenda had her laptop set up on her bed and waited anxiously for Chris to call, her hands nervously adjusting the silk robe she wore. When the screen showed an incoming call from Chris, Kenda quickly fixed her hair and accepted the call. Chris smiled the second he saw her on his screen.   
“Hey you,” Kenda said.   
“Hey beautiful. Why do you look like you’re dressed up?”   
Smiling devilishly, Kenda let her robe fall open. “I wouldn’t say dressed up. I decided to do a little something for you. You like?”   
Chris saw the lacy black bra barely covering her breasts, her nipples clearly visible and hard through the fabric. She looked sultry and sexy with her curls wild as they framed her face and the smoky makeup covering her eyes.   
“Goddamn woman!” Chris sighed as he felt himself grow hard. “I miss those tits so much.”   
Kenda laughed. “I take it this gets a thumbs up?”   
“A thumb? No. A dick? Fuck yes.”   
“Wish I could see,” Kenda said in a challenging tone.   
Chris raised an eyebrow and smiled cheekily before disappearing from the screen. A few moments later, he returned to his place, his hands shuffling just out of view of the camera before that familiar pink head appeared. Kenda bit her lip as she smiled.   
“Is this what you want?” Chris asked in a husked voice as his hand slowly stroked his cock.   
“Oh yeah.”   
“Fuck, I wish I was with you right now. I wanna see how wet that cute little pussy is getting.”   
Kenda smirked and angled her screen before spreading her legs and shifting her panties to the side to show Chris her smooth pink flesh. She sensually sucked her fingers before beginning to play with herself.   
“I miss your hands. I want those fingers spreading me open.”   
Chris hummed appreciatively. “I loved watching you fall apart from my fingers. And tasting you when you were done. Such a sweet, tasty little treat just for me.”   
“God, baby, please come home,” Kenda whined. “I can’t stand not being near you. Feeling your lips on me, your hands squeezing me, that big dick fucking me until I scream.”   
Chris’ stroking sped up from Kenda’s words, his breathing getting heavy as he watched her fingers pump in and out of her sex.   
“Tell me how you want me to fuck you. You want it from behind or you want it on top?”   
“I want it bent over the bed, my legs wide open with your hand around my throat. I want it hard and rough. Make me feel every inch.” 

“Yeah baby,” Chris moaned. “I’ll make sure you feel all of me over and over and over.”   
Kenda rolled her head back over her shoulders as she furiously rode her fingers to the image of Chris making her come repeatedly around him.   
“Fuck. Baby, I wanna come.”   
A noise on the Chris’ side of the screen made him momentarily lose focus as he responded to a person Kenda couldn’t hear and showed no concern for, her mind and body too far gone.   
“Come for me sweetheart. Let me see you make a mess.”   
Her body felt hot as she pumped her fingers with vigor, her middle finger hitting the spot deep inside her pussy that made her clench harshly and come hard. Chris watched with his mouth agape, his cock throbbing with the threat of a release he wouldn’t be able to achieve in time.   
“That’s it, baby. You look so fucking good when you come.”   
Kenda worked to catch her breath as she smiled at Chris.   
“Why’d you stop?”   
“They’re calling me back to set. I’m sorry.”   
Kenda gave a pout. “I’m sorry you couldn’t join me. Maybe later.”   
“Definitely later. Until then, I have to try to focus without thinking of you getting off in sexy lingerie.”   
“Good luck with that,” she laughed.   
“ I miss you, beautiful. Talk to you soon.”   
“Bye, baby.” 


	9. Chapter 9

A month later, Kenda was falling into a routine she was finally getting used to. Chris being away still sent a pang through her heart everyday but now she was growing more used to him being away. They still talked in short intervals whenever they could but Chris’ shooting schedule was growing more complicated and time consuming by the day leaving many missed calls for Kenda to see by the time she would wake up the next morning.   
Chris noticed that she would always try to put on her best fake smile when they could talk, her frustrations trying not to show through on her features. He always found himself apologizing and wishing he could make it up to her to which she would reply that everything was fine. This was just a part of their relationship now.   
Monika noticed how upset Kenda was getting and decided to take her to a karaoke bar for a night of fun at the end of her work week. They ordered two shots each before getting beers and sitting to watch people in various states of inebriation singing everything from oldies to ballads. Kenda decided after a few drinks to go up and sing something from the book of selections the bar had.   
Monika cheered loudly from her spot as Kenda got on stage and took the mic, her face hot from both the stage lights and the catcalls from random men in the crowd.   
  


_‘Simple sweet guitar _

_Humbled by the bass _

_So when the beat kicks in _

_Everything falls into place’_

Amy Winehouse captured the mood Kenda felt and she lost herself to the song much like she did that night at the blues bar with Chris. She pictured him sitting in front of her smiling encouragingly. By the time the song was over, it felt like the world came back into view again and Kenda was almost disappointed until Monika ran on stage and hugged her.   
“That’s my best friend!” she yelled into the mic as the patrons cheered.   
As Kenda sat back at the table, Monika went off to get more drinks. A soft tap on her arm made her turn around to see a handsome man smiling at her. His dark skin was smooth and flawless, his goatee trimmed perfectly around plump lips and pearly teeth. His hair was cut into a low fade and two diamonds glistened in his ears.   
“I’m sorry to bother you. How you doin’?” His voice was deep with a honey thick accent.   
“I’m alright.”   
“I just wanted to say you did your thing up there. Your voice is real beautiful.”   
“Thank you so much.”   
“I gotta ask... are you single?”   
Kenda chuckled as she looked into his dark brown eyes. For just a fraction of a second, she opened her mouth and entertained the thought of saying yes. She wanted to blame the alcohol but her head was still clear enough to know better and she wished that wasn’t the case. Still, her heart and her body only wanted one person and he was in a whole other country. She could never hurt him like that.   
“I’m sorry but no, I have a boyfriend.”   
“That’s a shame. Can I have tour name at least?”   
It couldn’t hurt.   
“Kenda.”   
“Nice to meet you, Kenda. I’m Jay. Hope I see you around here again some time. Let me know how that relationship works out.”   
Jay swaggered away and Kenda watched him with a lustful gaze.   
“Hello?”   
Monika’s voice snapped her gaze back to the table.   
“What?”   
“You were staring mighty hard at that dude weren’t you?”   
Kenda tried to play it off as best she could. “Oh please. I wasn’t paying attention to him.”   
Monika cocked her head and pursed her lips. “Bitch please. You were ready to walk right after his ass.”   
Kenda scoffed and took a long pull from her beer as her friend watched her with a knowing look. A couple hours later, the two were about to leave before Kenda stopped off in the bathroom. When she came back, Monika was smirking.   
“What?”   
Extending her hand, Monika showed Kenda a napkin with a phone number scrawled on it.   
“Cutie wanted me to give this to you.”   
Kenda took the napkin with a roll of her eyes but caught herself staring at it a few seconds too long.   
“You keeping it?” Monika was asking jokingly but there was an undertone of concern too.   
Kenda smacked her lips. “No. I told him what it was. He’s wasting his time.”   
They both strolled towards the front door as the napkin discreetly made its way into Kenda’s purse.   
  


* * *

It had been a whole week without a call from Chris. They were going on location somewhere new and his hours had gotten crazier leaving Kenda without the company of his voice. She let herself busy with anything she could find; She cleaned her apartment to the point of perfection, organized her closet, and dedicated an entire afternoon to washing and styling her hair. By the time she settled back down and it was quiet again, she found herself sending a text to Chris. Knowing she wouldn’t get a reply any time soon, she tried to see who else she could talk to. Monika was on a date, Shae was flying to the Virgin Islands with Sam. Even her parents were busy.   
Laying across her bed, Kenda stared at the ceiling and hummed to herself. Suddenly, she found herself reaching for her purse and fishing out the napkin from a couple weeks before. Grabbing her phone, she went to dial the number but something stopped her. Her conscience was having a tug of war. She knew it was a mistake keeping the number and she had no business even thinking about calling it.   
“Fuck,” she muttered.   
Ripping the napkin into small pieces, she threw them in the trash. The temptation was strong but her thoughts were stronger. To go down that road would be toeing a fine line that was bound to snap and she didn’t want to get caught on the wrong side.   
  


Chris apologized profusely when he was finally able to talk to Kenda again. He hated not being to talk to her and he could tell she was hurt even though events were out of control for both of them. Kenda almost considered telling Chris about Jay and the number, thought better of it.   
“Another month and a half I’ll be with you again.” Chris smiled.   
“I know. I can’t wait. This has been really tough.”   
“I appreciate your effort, babe. I know this sucks. I love you for sticking with me this long.”   
Kenda perked up, her eyes wide. Chris caught his words too late and his eyes widened as well.   
“Huh?”   
“What?”   
A smile broke across Kenda’s face as she processed the words. “Did I hear you right?”   
“Maybe...” 

“I love you,too.”   
Chris turned a light red as his features softened, his mouth curving into that impish smile.   
  
~~~

Six weeks came and went and before they knew it, Kenda was waiting for Chris to arrive at home. When the car pulled into the driveway, she danced on her toes nervously as she saw the back door open and Chris step out. He rushed to the door eager to see Kenda’s face. The second he set foot inside, he had only a second to drop his bags before Kenda launched herself into his arms, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. As they kissed longingly, Chris found the balance to kick the door shut. Kenda pulled away to admire his face. The beard, the hair. _Him_. He was here again finally.   
“Bedroom?”   
“Where ever. I don’t care,” Kenda answered.   
Chris wasted no time moving to the closet area — the couch. Their lips clashed feverishly. They each were trying quickly and desperately to remove one anothers clothing between kisses. Kenda was naked before Chris could fully kick his pants off and she shoved him to the couch while climbing into his lap. He was already hard, his dick bobbing back against his stomach ready for long awaited attention. Kenda was never more impatient than she was then, fumbling to take him in her hand before guiding him into her opening. They both moaned aloud, a mix of relief and bliss, at the feeling of finally being reconnected skin to skin like this. There was no time to adjust before Kenda was riding him for all his worth, her rhythm wild and rushed. Chris let his head fall against the back of the couch as his hands rested on her hips helping her ride him harder.   
“I-I missed you so f-fucking much,” Kenda stuttered.   
“I know, baby. I missed you.”   
Chris could feel her gushing down his thighs, her pussy making the most obscene noises he’d ever heard as she bounced up and down on his dick. His eyes scanned her body as she moved. Her ample breasts swinging, her hair flowing in a wild mane, her face contorted in pleasure. It was already too much for him. He could feel himself building much quicker than anticipated and he didn’t want it to end just yet.   
“Ken, you’re gonna make me come too fast.”   
“I don’t care. Fill me up.”   
“You sure?”   
“Yes, please, give it to me, baby.”   
Chris pumped his hips into Kenda’s and was busting before he knew it, groaning loud and raggedly as he emptied every bit of himself into Kenda who never broke her pace as she chased her orgasm that was just out of reach. Chris slapped her ass hard, enjoying the view of her trying to coax herself to the edge.  
“Come on my cock, sweetheart,” he growled as his mouth latched onto one of her nipples and sucked hard.   
Kenda was mewling and whining like a woman starved as she felt herself clench around the overwhelming thickness inside her and the waves took over her body, each one smashing into her harder than the next.   
“Oh my fucking God! I love you, Chris!”   
She collapsed against his chest as the waves passed and Chris hugged her close, stroking her back. Kenda’s thighs trembled lightly against Chris’ as her body calmed down. Pushing her hair from her face, she looked at Chris who was beaming.   
“Hi.”   
“Hi.”   
They both chuckled.   
“You good?”   
“I’m _great_.”   
They stayed together unmoving for long minutes just enjoying touching one another again. Soon enough, they were ready for the second round as Chris carried Kenda to the bedroom.   
~~~

That evening, they laid in bed practically glued to one another. Kenda was exhausted and close to sleep as she snuggled closer to Chris, her leg over his torso. Chris played with her curls and kissed her forehead.   
“You hungry at all?”   
“Mmm?” Kenda mumbled.   
“Nevermind,” Chris laughed. “Go to sleep.” 

Kenda hummed before her body relaxed and gave into sleep. This was one of the things Chris missed the most while away. All the nights he laid in bed wishing he could roll over and see Kenda with him were, at least for now, a thing of the past as she was finally with him again. He squeezed her closer to him and fell asleep with a peaceful smile on his face.


	10. Chapter 10

Chris awoke to different smells permeating the air as he sat up in bed. The digital clock nearby read 10:15. Getting out of bed, Chris slipped into a pair of boxers and walked outside to the kitchen where Kenda was standing over the stove singing softly while music played from her phone. Chris smiled at the sight; One of his tee shirts draped over her body yet somehow hugged her frame and when she raised her arms, Chris could see she wasn’t wearing underwear. His smile grew wider as he leaned against a countertop on his elbow admiring the view for a few more seconds.   
“Good morning, gorgeous.”   
Kenda yelped as she quickly spun around and clutched her chest. Once she saw Chris, she sighed.   
“Goddammit, you scared the shit out of me! Have you been there long?”   
“Long enough to get a nice look at your ass.”   
“Yeah?” Kenda lifted her shirt and shook her ass making Chris chuckle. “You hungry? Food’s almost done.”   
“I could eat. Maybe not breakfast but I’ll take what I can get.” He smirked devilishly.   
“I’m off the menu right now. Sorry.”   
“Fine. I guess I’ll eat some food.”  
  
Post breakfast, the couple laid in bed and watched tv together until Kenda drifted back off to sleep. Chris couldn’t help but stare lovingly at her. Her body curled into the fetal position next to his with her hair falling over her face while a hand laid daintily over his chest. A small smile crept across Chris’ face as he softly kissed her forehead. As morning faded into afternoon, the sun beaming into the bedroom window woke Kenda. Stretching her limbs and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Kenda looked over to see Chris snoozing quietly, his eyes fluttering lightly. She rested her chin on his chest and watched him with a silly, love struck grin on her face. As she placed a kiss on his chest and laid her head down, she noticed a small bulge beneath his boxers.   
“Must be a good dream,” Kenda mumbled.   
An evil smile stretched across her lips as she crept down between Chris’ legs and tried not to disturb him. Opening the fold of his boxers, she slipped her hand inside and gently wrapped her fingers around his cock before guiding him out and slowly twirling her tongue around the head. She manipulated every inch of him, feeling him grow heavier and harder in her hand over the course of a few minutes. Chris began to stir in his sleep, a small moan escaping between his lips. Kenda smiled as she sucked him harder and rolled her tongue around his shaft. When she took him all the way to the back of her throat, Chris stiffened and quickly awoke to see a half blurry Kenda bobbing happily. For a second he swore he was still sleeping but when he hit the back of her throat again and felt his toes curl, he knew he was wide awake.   
“This is a surprise,” he said, voice deepened by sleep and arousal. Kenda met his eyes and winked making him smile. Lightly taking her chin in hand, he pulled her mouth from him. “Get up here.”   
Kenda crawled up the length of Chris’ body and straddled him as he pulled her down for a long, languid kiss. She felt a hush of arousal coat her already wet lips and wasted no time taking Chris and guiding him inside her.   
“I never get tired of you filling me up,” she breathed.   
Chris growled from a place deep in his throat as he savored the feeling of Kenda’s soaking wet pussy gliding up and down his shaft. He could stay like this forever, always buried in her coaxing amazing sounds from her mouth. Rolling her onto her back in one swift move, he set a new pace.   
“Is that what you want? My dick filling up this tight little cunt?”   
“Please, baby. Yes. I want all of you.”   
Chris smirked. “As you wish.”   
  
  
A sense of normalcy returned rather quickly; Lunch and dinner dates and nights out some days followed by lazy movie marathons and tiring sessions in every room of their homes on other days. They even spent a day at Kenda’s parents house just hanging out and having a good time over drinks. Playful arguments were had over who had the best taste in music or which shirts Kenda was allowed to borrow. They were practically joined at the hip since Chris had gotten home. It was all so simple, so easy. But of course, some good things did have to come to an end. 

~~~

Kenda tried not to let her anger and frustration seep through but it was hard after what Chris had just said.   
“You _just_ got back.”   
“I know, babe, I know. My scheduling bothers me as much as it does you but I have to work. I don’t have a choice.”   
“I just...” Kenda trailed off as she paced the bedroom floor trying to stay calm. “I just thought we would have more time together before your next shoot. You’ve been gone for three months, Chris.”   
He stopped her in her tracks and pulled her close by the waist. “I know. We both knew this would be challenging but I told you we would make this work and I meant every word of it. I need your understanding.”   
Kenda sighed. She believed him and she knew she needed to understand. It was such a challenge though. Three months without Chris was hard enough. He would only be gone for this next shoot for only a month but it was still hard nonetheless.   
“Okay.” She hoped she didn’t convey in that one word just how little she believed in this going smoothly a second time.   
Chris took Kenda’s chin in between his fingers and tilted her head up before kissing her.   
“I love you.”   
Nodding solemnly, she responded with a half hearted, “Love you, too.”   
“Perk up for me.” Kenda rolled her eyes but her face stayed the same. “Come on now. At least give me a smile?”   
When Kenda still didn’t budge, Chris started squeezing and tickling her until she couldn’t help but start laughing and trying to shove him away.   
“Alright! I give, stop tickling me!” Kenda laughed.   
Chris smiled and took his hands away. “That’s better. I promise I’ll try to get back to you soon.”   
They embraced and kissed one another. Kenda felt her heart falter as her face fell. 

* * *

Kenda felt her eyes sting with tears but she willed them away. Chris was finally coming back home today. The month passed by slower than three months ever could and it was the first time in their relationship that they experienced a true rough patch. Not only did they go weeks without speaking but they also had their first argument. On one of his breaks one day, Chris was able to call Kenda. A light conversation led to her emotions getting the better of her and before she knew it, she snapped at Chris and they were going back and forth in a screaming match. Kenda replayed that argument for hours afterward. She knew he wasn’t intentionally ignoring her or choosing not to call. His attention had to go towards his work. The more she thought about it, the more she considered the option that would break both their hearts. Even when she tried to convince herself to stick it out, the negativity swayed her at each turn. It wasn’t fair. The ache in her heart had already reached an unbearable point, at least she thought, until the moment Chris arrived.   
Their reunion wasn’t like the last. It was full of awkward silences and stilted movements. When Chris hugged Kenda and kissed her, he felt like he wasn’t even touching her. The distance could be felt the second he walked through the door.   
“Let’s talk,” Kenda said as she sat on the couch. Even the way she sat, legs hugged to her chest, showed how much she was already trying to separate herself from the situation.   
Chris felt his heartbeat pick up as he sat next to her, his eyes trying to search her own.   
“Ken,” he started.   
“Chris, let me get this off my chest first. Please.” She couldn’t even look at him. If she did, she knew she would break right then and there. “I love you. You know that. These last five months have been wonderful. I didn’t know I would feel the way I do about you. That’s why this last month has been so hard for me to come to this point.”   
“Kenda, please look at me,” Chris begged.   
His voice held fear and she knew his eyes probably showed it as well. That made it harder for her to choke out the rest of her words.   
“I told myself I could handle all this. Your career, your schedules. I tried to understand and be there but I just can’t deal with being in a long distance relationship with someone who has become a piece of me like you have... which is why I think we should break up. I’m sorry.”   
Chris knew it was coming but it still felt like someone had just punched him in the gut.   
“You can’t give up on us like this.” The pain in his voice was enough to make Kenda finally succumb to her tears. Chris took her face in his hands and made her look at him, the sadness swirling in the blue of his eyes making her cry harder. “Baby please. I promised you we could handle this and I meant it. You can’t... I can’t lose you. Do you know how important you’ve become to me?”   
Kenda tried to look away but Chris refused to let her, his hold on her face still firm but unyielding. “I need you, Kenda. Don’t give up on us. Please.”   
He found himself repeating that one word as if it would take on the power to convince her stay even as he kissed her with urgency, not daring to let her go. Kenda was losing the battle against herself as she gave in to him and felt her body go weak. Chris scooped her into his arms and rushed to the bedroom.   
Hands tore at clothing, lips crushed against each other with bruising force, teeth bit at tender skin. They knew this wasn’t what was supposed to happen. This wasn’t the healthy way. They were supposed to be talking, being honest. Instead, here they were grabbing at one another with greedy hands, clawing harshly. Kenda cried silently as Chris buried himself deep within her walls with an unrelenting pace as he forced her orgasm continuously. It seemed like they stayed like that for hours, communicating words with their bodies that their mouths couldn’t speak. Or just didn’t want to.   
  


Later that night as Chris slept with his arms wrapped tightly around Kenda, she took time to memorize his face in this state. There was no hurt, only peace. It only made it hurt her more when she wriggled free of his hold and left the bed. She was sure she cried all her tears but somehow her cheeks were wet yet again as she got dressed without a sound. Finding some paper and a pen, she scribbled a quick note and left it in the empty spot where she laid many times before and left without looking back.   
  


It was after 3 am when Chris woke up to an empty spot next to him. His heart fell to his stomach as he sat up and picked up the note that was left behind. In perfect cursive smudged by tears were three simple words: **_I love you._**


	11. Chapter 11

Kenda managed to make it to her apartment long enough to pack a bag before she escaped to spend a week at Monika’s. She even turned her phone off to avoid any calls from Chris. She knew he would likely do all he could to try to contact her and she couldn’t handle the thought especially after how she left him that night.   
By the time she decided to go back to her apartment, it felt empty. Or maybe that was just how she felt. Numbness had taken over where pain was staked for the last five days. When she entered her room, she spotted one of Chris’ shirts still on her bed from the last time he visited. Tears sprung to her eyes. How long would his clothes remain in her apartment? Would he get them eventually? Pushing the thought aside, Kenda stripped all her clothes off and shrugged on the oversized tee shirt. It felt like he was embracing her in that way she loved. She inhaled the woodsy scent still in the fabric as she curled up in bed, a sense of comfort mixing with the anguish.  
An entire weekend went by and Kenda slept through every minute of it, only getting out of bed to use the bathroom. When Sunday evening came, she finally rose from her slumber, her bones aching and eyes puffy. Gathered what little strength she had, she turned on her phone and as expected, multiple messages and voicemails came flooding in, most of them from Chris. She couldn’t stand the thought of reading or listening to anything from him and immediately deleted every last piece of evidence of him from her phone. As she hit delete on the final message, a call came through from Shae. Kenda sighed deeply. Talking to other people was the last thing she wanted to do but she found herself answering the phone anyway.   
“Hello?” Her voice sounded nothing like her own as it had been unused for two straight days and riddled with sleep.   
“Oh damn bitch. You sick or something?”   
“Not exactly.”   
“What’s wrong then?”   
Kenda had only told Monika the news up until that moment and still it hurt to say aloud. “I broke up with Chris.”   
“What?!” Shae shrieked. “Why?”   
Kenda explained everything from beginning to end and by the time she was done, she was crying. Tears seemed to be the one thing her body hadn’t run out of yet. She inhaled the scent of Chris’ shirt and she couldn’t tell if it made her feel better or worse.   
“Did I make a mistake, Shae?”   
Her cousin sighed on the other end. For once, Kenda left her speechless. “I think you did what you had to for you. Like, I wish it had worked out for you guys. I wanted it to. But long distance is hard. Some couples make it and some don’t. It’s not your fault and it’s not his. I’m sorry you’re feeling bad though, boo. I really am.”   
“I wish I never met him that night. I should’ve known better than to get with an actor. What did I expect?”   
“Don’t say that. You made each other happy. You can’t help who you fall for in life. I know you might not wanna hear this but even with what’s going on, I just see you two working it out in the end. Not sure why, I just do.”   
“As much as I would like to think that too, I don’t have hope like you. Not after how I left him.”   
“You never know, Ken. You never know.” 

~~~ 

**A month and a half later— **

Kenda had been going through life in a somewhat numbed, catatonic state. Work, home, sleep, rinse and repeat. Shae, Monika and her parents checked in on her on a weekly basis just to hear the usual — she was keeping herself occupied with other things. Staying distracted was all she cared about. Since she left, Chris had only tried to contact her once a couple weeks after and left her a voicemail.   
_‘Just wanted to let you know that I miss you.’_   
She knew she shouldn’t have listened to it but she did and it was yet another mistake she’d made. His shirt that she had been sleeping in had long since lost his scent and it felt like the last pieces of Chris had finally faded from her life. 

Kenda practically tried to work herself to the bone every day and, combined with her diet of chips, candy bars and Coke’s, it was no surprise that one day she found herself waking up in an ambulance.   
“Honey, can you hear me?” A woman in an EMT uniform stared down at Kenda, a light flashing over each of her eyes.   
Looking around, the inside of the vehicle slowly came into focus. Confusion washed over her as she looked down to see an IV in her forearm.   
“What... what happened?” Kenda was momentarily scared.   
“You fainted at work. You’re on the way to the hospital now. We informed your parents and they should be on their way, okay?”   
“Okay.”   
Kenda couldn’t remember what happened to lead to her passing out but it was a shock that managed to cut through the numbness.   
Once she arrived at the hospital, she was assigned a room and examined. Her blood was drawn and she was given plenty of water and a sleeve of crackers to nibble on. Her parents eventually showed up shortly after.   
“You okay, honey?” Adina hovered over her daughter as any concerned mother would.   
“I’m fine. I just fainted at work.”   
“What happened?” Sterling spoke up from behind his wife.   
“I don’t know,” Kenda shrugged. “I don’t remember anything before it happened. I just woke up in the ambulance.”   
“Well at least you’re not hurt. That’s good. Let’s see what the doctors have to say.”   
Some time later, an older black woman with reading glasses entered the room followed by a younger Middle Eastern woman.   
“Hi, Kenda. I’m Dr. Maline and this is Dr. Dife,” the younger of the two women spoke. “Are you feeing any better?”   
“A little,” Kenda nodded.   
“Good. So I had the nurses draw some blood so we could run tests and as we expected, you do have exhaustion. Have you been experiencing a lot of stress lately that’s prohibiting you from getting rest?”   
Kenda didn’t want to admit to a breakup being the reason she wasn’t taking the best care of herself for the last month.   
“No more than usual. Other than some personal stuff, I’m fine.” It was a half truth at least.   
“You have been working yourself like crazy the last month, Kenda. I kept telling you to take it easy,” Adina said in a scolding tone.   
“Mom, I’m fine. Nothing wrong with working hard.”   
“It put you in the hospital. Your body has limits, honey. You know this.”   
Kenda fought the urge to roll her eyes. Her mom was right but it was annoying. Her dad cut in then, his question directed at the doctor.   
“Other than the exhaustion, she is okay? All she needs is rest, right?”   
“Well yes but we had another question for Kenda. That’s why I brought Dr. Dife with me.”   
The older woman came forward with a folder in hand, a kind smile on her face.   
“I work in the obstetrics and gynecology area of the hospital. That’s why I was brought along to speak to you. When we looked at the results for your blood test, we found that not only are you experiencing exhaustion but you’re also pregnant. Did you know this?”   
The room fell dead silent as Kenda and her parents stared back at the two women in disbelief. Kenda suddenly felt her stomach roiling from the words, the few crackers she are threatening to come back up. Things that she didn’t think twice about started making sense then. When she was more tired because of work and low energy, this was why. When she noticed her tastes for certain foods shifting on the rare occasion she actually had a meal and certain smells making her nauseous, this was why. And the final nail straw to make sense of it all was the fact that in the midst of all of this, she didn’t realize until then that her period was in fact late.   
“I... how far am I?”   
“According to our test, you’re about five weeks along.”   
It didn’t take long to figure out that the last night Kenda spent with Chris was the catalyst for a pregnancy.  
“Fuck,” Kenda said, exasperation in her voice. She dropped her head in her hands and tried to keep her breathing level.  
“Would you like us to step out for a few minutes?” Dr. Maline asked.   
When Kenda didn’t answer, Adina responded, “Yes, please. Thank you.”   
The two women left the room as Sterling pulled his daughter to his chest and kissed the top of her head.   
“You alright, baby girl?”   
“I thought I would have a clean break from him,” Kenda spoke without her head leaving her hands. “Now I’m carrying his kid. I guess the universe really does have a sense of humor, huh?”   
“What do you want to do?” Adina asked.   
Kenda took a staggering breath as she lifted her head finally, eyes glittering. “I don’t know, Mom. I need to process this first. How do I tell him... how will I tell Chris that I’m pregnant?”   
“That’s up to you, love. It is still early but I think the sooner you tell him, the better. Once you decide what you want to do anyway.”   
Kenda laid back on the bed. Her thoughts were racing quicker than her mind could process. Out of nowhere, her conversation with Shae came echoing back. For the first time in a while, she smiled in a kind of rueful way.   
“I can’t stand her,” Kenda mumbled under her breath.  
  


Once the doctors came back, they gave Kenda informational pamphlets on pregnancy and first time mothers in the event that she decided to go through with the pregnancy and one for Planned Parenthood in case she didn’t. Kenda’s parents took her home and offered to bring her car back the next day. Her emotions were all over the spectrum, her brain still trying to make sense of the information she learned. For only a second, she considered calling Chris but she reconsidered. She didn’t even know for sure if she wanted to keep the baby. She didn’t know if she was ready for one. Did she want to start a family one day? Absolutely. But she always envisioned a father, perhaps even a husband, helping her raise a child. On the other hand, the thought of an abortion never sat well with her. Adoption was a good choice as well.   
Dropping her purse on the floor, she plopped down on her couch and stared up at her ceiling. As her mind wandered, her hand absently rubbed over her stomach.   
“What do I do?” she asked her empty home.   
She pictured what it would be like to be a mother. Images of a big, nice house with a pool out back and a dog or two came to mind. A beautiful little boy no more than three manifested with wild dark curls and chunky cheeks much like Kenda’s own at that age. He had stunning hazel eyes and creamy caramel colored skin. Kenda imagined lifting him into her arms and planting a kiss on his angelic face. The tears came. There was never a perfect time to have a baby or start a family no matter how much you planned it out just right in your mind. And regardless of whether or not Chris decided to be a part of a kid’s life, it wouldn’t stop Kenda from being a good mother. On the other hand, kids change everything about a persons life. Time once devoted to small things would have to shift to the needs of one tiny individual. Play dates, doctors appointments, school, making lunches and dinner. No one could ever be fully prepared for all those things. That was part of the challenge though.   
Picking up her cell, Kenda thumbed through one of the pamphlets until she found the number she needed.   
“Hi, my name is Kenda Mills. I’d like to schedule an appointment.”

* * *

  
Kenda nervously chewed at her nails as she sat in the lobby of an office building, her foot bouncing chaotically. She looked around at the other people waiting, mostly women of different ages, some with children and others with none.   
“Kenda Mills?”   
Grabbing her purse, Kenda stood on wobbly legs and followed a young woman back to a room.   
“There’s a restroom for you to change in and a gown on the table. A doctor will be in with you shortly, okay?”   
“Okay.” Kenda felt her mouth go dry. Her tongue felt like lead and she wanted to puke.   
The paper gown felt uncomfortable and itchy on her skin as she got on the table and covered herself with the paper sheet. A knock on the door sounded and a tiny woman entered a few seconds later. She walked with a limp and had wire frames glasses. She looked like a stereotypical grandma you would see in a cartoon.   
“Hello, dear. You’re Kenda?”   
“I am.”   
“I’m Dr. Hale. How are you today?”   
“Alright I guess.”   
“You look nervous.”   
“A little.”   
“Oh, honey don’t be nervous. I’ll try to make you as relaxed as possible.” Dr. Hale lifted two stirrups from the foot of the table. “Go ahead and lay back for me, feet up.”   
Kenda took a breath as she placed her feet in the stirrups and laid back on the table. Dr. Hale brought over a cart with a couple different objects and a cart with a computer monitor on it. As she prepared, she tried to put Kenda at ease by asking ice breaker questions. Slipping on latex gloves, she pulled a stool over and sat down.   
“Go ahead and lift your gown for me, dear.”   
Kenda folded for fabric over her stomach and watched the doctor ready a tube of gel. A portion was squeezed onto her stomach before the transducer was moved through it. On the monitor, a black and white image came into view. Just as Kenda was about to ask if there was a heartbeat, a rapid drumbeat, quiet at first, slowly filled the room. The more Dr. Hale moved the transducer, the louder the noise became.   
“I see a little peanut in there,” Dr. Hale said happily. “Nice heartbeat.”   
Kenda’s mouth fell open. Though the tiny image was hard to make out, she saw it. Its little heart was beating away.   
“Holy shit.” 

Post exam, Dr. Hale gave Kenda a picture she printed off. In the middle of it was a little white spot. An arrow pointed to it and next to it was the word baby.   
“Congratulations, Kenda.”   
“Thanks,” she responded absently.   
The longer she stared the picture, the more the realization sunk in that there was a life growing right that moment inside her. Rubbing her belly, she smiled.   
“I can do this.”   
~~~

Kenda sat in her car shifting through stations on the radio trying to find anything to put her mind at ease. Her heart raced and her armpits were sweating profusely making her tee shirt stick to her skin. She hoped she didn’t look too suspicious sitting in her car on the side of the road but it seemed like the better option. Anxious looks into her mirrors finally revealed a familiar SUV driving towards her before veering into a driveway.   
“Okay,” she breathed as she gathered her purse and got out of the car.   
Her heart and everything inside her body froze as she took a tentative step then another towards the car. The driver side door opened and a long leg stepped out. For a moment, Kenda almost turned and ran to her car letting fear take over. She couldn’t though. This had to be done. It was the right thing to do. The driver of the SUV grabbed a plastic store bag and exited the vehicle, unaware for a few seconds that he was being watched. Sunglasses hid his eyes under a Boston baseball cap. The moment he turned around, he froze. They both stared at each other for what felt like eons.   
“Hi, Chris.”   
He slowly removed his sunglasses to reveal those blue eyes Kenda used to get lost in. And still did.   
“Kenda.”   
The way he said her name, still holding important weight on his tongue like he was always tasting it, almost made her crumble to the ground. She didn’t know what to say.   
“Hi,” she repeated awkwardly.   
“Hey.” He couldn’t believe she was back. After that night, after all his ignored messages and calls, he just knew for sure she was gone forever. Yet here she was again looking the same but somehow different. “What are you doing here?”   
“I needed to talk to you.”   
Chris our his weight on one leg and shifted his bags to his other hand.   
“Now you wanna talk? After all this time?”   
It sounded bitter unsurprisingly, something Kenda expected but it still hurt. Avoiding his piercing gaze, she opted to look at her shoes instead.   
“This couldn’t wait.”   
Silence stretches for longer than she was comfortable with and she chanced a look up at Chris who was still staring at her.   
“Come inside.”   
He started towards his front door with Kenda in tow. Everything looked the exact same inside as they walked in and Kenda looked around. Chris took the bags to the kitchen and took his time putting things away. Sitting down for some reason seemed inappropriate so she stood off to the side of the living room listening to Chris shuffle around the kitchen. After a couple minutes, he resurfaced with a bottle of water in hand which he handed off to Kenda.   
“Thanks.”   
Acknowledging her with a nod, he sat on the couch and gestures to the spot opposite him. Kenda cleated her throat and sat down on a couch that now felt foreign. The very couch where they watched many movies. The one where they had their first sexual encounter.   
“What’s up?” Chris asked.   
Kenda opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, trying to push out words that sat in her throat. As much as she rehearsed this conversation on the way over, all of that seemed to rush out the window and now, she was struck dumb.   
“Uh...” 

Chris raised a brow at her but didn’t try to rush her to speak. Even with the awkwardness and tension, he was enjoying her being in his company again. “Take your time.”   
Kenda took a long pull from her water bottle, tried to speak, took another pull.   
“I came here to... I had to tell you...” Rather than trying to make the words come, she reached into her purse. The little picture was pinched between her shaking fingers and it felt heavy then. Taking it from the bag, she slid it across the couch toward Chris face down. “Here.”   
Chris looked confused as he lifted what he thought was a blank piece of paper at first until the black on the other side. Turning the picture over, he looked at it for a few seconds. An odd image of a white spot with an arrow pointing to it that said... His eyes widened as the realization hit. He looked up at Kenda who looked back at him like she was ready to run for the door.   
“You’re pregnant?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a ton of plot in this chapter, just plenty of fluff.

Kenda felt bile rise up in her throat and found herself running to the kitchen, her sights aiming right at the sink. It was definitely not the optimal place she wanted to get sick but it was closer than the bathroom and she was lucky to make it as fast as she did. Chris hurriedly followed behind her, grabbing her abandoned water bottle, and made his way to the kitchen. Any other time he would shy away from seeing anyone get sick but his only thought that second was helping Kenda and making sure she was okay. She was retching violently as she held her hair back with one hand and turned on the faucet with the other. Once the nausea passed, she splashed some water around to clean the sink and used a handful to rinse her mouth. She felt a hand rubbing soothingly at her back and a wave of warmth passed through her body. A simple touch still made her weak.  
“I’m fine. This is just morning sickness,” she reassured him while trying to wave him away.   
”Here,” Chris offered the bottle. “Drink the rest of this and I’ll get you another one.”   
Kenda sheepishly took it, embarrassment washing over her. “Thank you.”   
Back in the living room she drank some more and choked down a couple grapes as she and Chris resumed their conversation.   
“So... this is why you wanted to talk,” Chris said matter of factory.  
He looked at the sonogram picture again, his heart in his throat. He never thought that Kenda would come back, especially not with this news.   
“I only recently found out about this. I struggled with what I wanted to do for a bit but I decided I want to keep it.” Kenda watched Chris stare at the picture with an indiscernible look in his eyes. This was a turn of events that neither of them predicted and now they were faced with what was to come of all this. “I knew I owed you the courtesy of letting you know. The way things... ended between us... I didn’t want that to affect how you would feel about this. Now, I don’t expect anything from you. You can be involved if you want or you can pretend like we never even met, I won’t be offended. I just had to make sure you knew.”   
Chris looked up from the picture, his brows furrowed.   
“Did you think I wouldn’t wanna to be involved in this?”   
Kenda shrugged. “I don’t know honestly. After how I left, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.”   
“You should know better, Kenda. You should know _me_ better than that. Yes, our relationship didn’t go where we wanted it to and yes, it hurt me when you up and left but now you’re telling me you’re carrying my kid and you expect me to not have a hand in any of it?”   
The look in his eyes made Kenda regret saying that much. He looked offended by the mere assumption of such a negative thought.  
“I don’t know what to think, Chris. I’m still trying to process all this shit myself. Look, all I know is I couldn’t live with myself if you hadn’t known. I made my choice. However you choose to go about this is up to you.”   
Chris put the picture down and took Kenda’s hand in his own. His thumb ran soothingly over her knuckles.  
“I would never let you go through this alone. What kind of man would I be if I deliberately let my kid grow up without his father? Of course I’m gonna be involved in this.”   
The sincerity in Chris’ voice made tears well up in Kenda’s eyes. She took a shaky breath and squeezed his hand.   
“I’m scared. Excited but scared.”   
Chris pulled her against him and hugged her tightly. The last time they embraced was seemingly the last time. Now, a life was going to be born from it.   
“We’ll be scared together. You’ll never be alone in this, Ken. I’m right by your side.”   
Kenda sniffled as a smile spread across her face and her body sagged in relief. They both looked the picture sitting on the coffee table.   
“So we’re having a baby?”   
Chris smiled. “Looks like we are. There’s a little you in there.”   
“Hopefully just a little of me and lot of you.”   
  
~~~  
  


Kenda found herself getting used to pregnancy as it progressed into the following month. It was going smoothly for the most part aside from the morning sickness and growing aversions to food. Her parents were ecstatic when they heard that a grandchild was on the way, even more so when they found out Chris would be involved. They promised to keep everything a secret until Kenda was ready to make an announcement. Meanwhile, Chris vowed to help in any way he could whether it was a simple favor or taking Kenda to her appointments. His own family was overjoyed to hear about a new baby that would be close in age to his nephew. He always pictured being a father at some point in his life. Although this particular situation wasn’t the ideal scenario he had in mind, he was still happy that he would be having a kid with someone as amazing as Kenda. They found themselves bonding like old friends would; Chris made sure to call and text as frequently as possible to make sure she had anything she needed or to make sure she was doing okay. Kenda found it adorable yet annoying how much of an almost overbearing person he had become so quickly. In person, they still shared some awkward moments though. Kenda couldn’t help but think that underneath all of the care Chris showed that he was possibly hiding some resentment as well. Whenever he came around, a lump formed in her throat and all she wanted to do was break down and apologize but since he never bothered to bring anything up about their split, she never bothered to say anything. Plus, things were peaceful. An argument or some rehashing of their pain could only sour their moods.   
  


The day finally came for the first ultrasound where Chris was able to not only see the baby for the first time but he and Kenda could discover the gender. They were almost vibrating with giddiness. The car ride to the hospital was filled with amusing name swapping and guesses of what their little bean could be.   
At the doctors office, Chris nervously fiddled with his hands as Kenda laid on the bed and her obstetrician prepped her. A 3D image appeared on the screen in front of them, a small, not fully formed person resting peacefully with only a fidget here and there. Chris’ eyes widened once he saw it and leaned on the bed next to Kenda who smiled brightly.   
“Wow,” Chris whispered. The longer he stared at the screen, the more a smile stretched across his face. “That’s our baby.”  
Kenda looked up at Chris and saw how mesmerized he looked. It made butterflies flutter in her belly. He glanced down at her, a look of pride, and took her hand in his as they watched the screen a little longer.   
“Would you both like to know the sex?” Dr. Hale asked.   
“Yes.”   
“No.”   
Chris and Kenda both looked at one another after their conflicting answers.   
“You don’t wanna know now?” he asked.   
“I think I want it to be a surprise. We can do one of those gender reveal things in front of our families, make them a part of it. Is that okay?”   
“If that’s what you want.”   
Kenda nodded. “It might be more fun that way.”   
“I like it,” Chris said after a moment of consideration, a sweet smirk on his face.   
“Then we’ll do a reveal,” Kenda said to Dr. Hale.   
  
~~~

The envelope was too tantalizing for either of them to even look at as they left the office. They both decided to entrust Adina with the honors of finding out the gender so she could plan a party accordingly. She cried when she saw the results and swore she would try her best to keep it hidden. Over a week of Chris and Kenda being kept in the dark and itching to know the gender of the baby. Adina flew some of their family members out from Ohio and even offered to fly Chris’ family out from Boston. The party was in the backyard of Kenda’s parents house. Adina kept the decor simple but adorable; A table was filled with cupcakes with pacifiers for toppers and little specialized cards for everyone to fill out with words of advice and their guesses of how big the baby would be. Streamers hung from the deck along with red and green balloons. Their family members all interacted with one another; Scott and Shae immediately gravitated towards one another, their rapport feeling like that of old friends. Nana got to know Chris’ sisters and extended an invite to the next family outing in Ohio. Shae acted like a giggly school girl seeing Chris again much to Kenda’s amusement. Both their parents got along and bonded over stories of the two of them, some that made them both cringe in embarrassment.   
Soon it was time for the reveal.  
Chris and Kenda stood by a giant box with a sign on the front that said **_‘It’s a...’_** They smiled excitedly and waited for the rest of their family to gather around with the cameras and phones at the ready.   
“Alright, remember guys: red for girl and green for boy! Ready?” Everyone cheered and urged Kenda to open the box. She turned to Chris and asked, “Ready?” 

“Let’s do it,” he replied with a giant grin.   
“Okay everyone count us down!”   
“5... 4... 3... 2...1!” 

Chris and Kenda ripped open the box to unleash dozens of balloons, all colored red. Kenda gasped and clutched her chest while Chris laughed happily. Their family cheered at the reveal and ran over to congratulate them on their baby girl, hugs and kisses going all around. Kenda cried happily and ran her hands over her belly as she looked at Chris.   
“It’s a little girl!”   
Chris laid his hand over hers. “Our little girl.”   
They embraced, Kenda crying and giggling. Her heart fluttered and she found herself grateful once again that Chris was in this with her. 

* * *

Soon after learning the gender, Kenda began looking into a new home. As much as she loved her apartment, it was no place to raise a baby. More space would be needed and she figured a starter home was a good option. Chris went along as Kenda hunted for the perfect home, offering his own input on what he thought would be better for her and their daughter. Eventually she landed on a beautifully spacious house a little farther from Chris but closer to her parents in a quiet residential neighborhood.   
Adina, Sterling and Chris helped Kenda move in and get settled as well as setting up a nursery.   
By the time evening rolled around, Kenda’s parents had gone home leaving Chris to help unpack the remainder of the boxes sitting in the kitchen.   
“I don’t know why I’m so excited,” Kenda said as she unwrapped some plates. “I don’t know if it’s because of this little bean or what but... I just feel really happy right now.”   
Chris nodded, placing some cups in a nearby cabinet. “I get it. It’s a new chapter for you. For both of us.”   
Kenda looked over at him and felt some sincerity in that moment. “I don’t know if I said this to you yet but thank you for being here with me. I’m not sure these last couple months would have been as stress free without you. I really appreciate it, Chris.”   
He leaned back from his place behind the cabinet door and grinned. “Of course. I’m always here for you, sweetheart.”   
Hearing that pet name again made Kenda feel warm inside. She hadn’t heard it in so long it almost felt right to hear it again. She turned away to hide the shy smile on her face as they continued unpacking.


	13. Chapter 13

Thanksgiving approached quicker than anyone realized. Kenda’s belly had grown rounder and more pronounced as the year drove towards a close. She had finally gotten the baby’s room decorated and furnished and thoroughly enjoyed living in a house that she could do more in. Keeping herself busy decorating was a small source of comfort.  
Chris was set to start shooting again after New Year’s and aimed to spend as much time as he could with Kenda. Sometimes he slept on her couch after having movie nights and offered to make breakfast, lunch or dinner. He noticed that as she grew, he found himself having a whole new level of attraction towards her. Kenda was always beautiful but with her body constantly changing, she looked more and more amazing each passing day; Chris noticed her already curvy body had gotten curvier, her hips wider and her ass bigger. He remembered feeling a strong urge to strip Kenda completely naked and devour her when she brought up how she had gone up a bra size. Pregnancy was bringing out an odd primal feeling Chris had never felt before and he was trying to hold onto any semblance of self control he could muster whenever he was around her.   
~~~

Kenda decided to hold Thanksgiving dinner at her house, inviting her parents as well as Shae,Sam, Monika and Nana. They all had a great time sharing stories and asking Kenda what her plans were when she delivered the baby. Shae acted like a complete fool the entire day as she usually did, her exuberant personality making for a welcome source of entertainment. Nana helped in the kitchen making sure to take care of the greens and macaroni while Adina made desert and Kenda made a roasted chicken. Turkey had to be taken off the menu once she figured out her body no longer liked the smell of certain meats.   
By the end of the night, Adina was happily wine drunk and Sterling nearly had to carry her to the car while Shae and Monika had went off to enjoy a holiday blunt in the backyard. Nana and Sam helped Kenda clean the kitchen.   
“You tell Chris he has his own bowl of greens here in the fridge, okay?” Nana said, tucking said bowl away on a top shelf.   
Kenda laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”   
Once everyone had gone home, Kenda sat down with a plate of cheesecake and called Chris. After a few rings, he picked up.  
“Hey!” Chris said a little too loudly on the other end.   
“Hi,” Kenda said, pulling the phone away. She laughed in amusement. It was evident just from his greeting that he’d had a few drinks and was enjoying himself. “Having fun?”   
“Hell yeah! Oh hang on.” Chris’ voices had turned away from the phone. “Everyone, Kenda is on the phone. Say hi!”   
“Hi!” Various voices called out loudly from the other end.   
Kenda laughed.   
“Come see us before you have the baby!” Scott’s voice distinctly called out.   
“I will, honey. I promise,” Kenda replied.   
The background noise receded and eventually got quiet before Chris came back.   
“I’m back. Sorry if it was loud. It’s been a fucking madhouse all day.”   
“I would expect nothing less. I didn’t wanna keep you from the festivities, I just wanted to call and wish you a happy Thanksgiving before I went to bed. And you have a bowl of greens waiting for you in my fridge when you get back.”   
“Nana left me some? Fuck yeah!”   
Kenda snorted as she laughed. Chris was always a goofball but it doubled when he was drinking.   
“My folks send their love and Shae wanted you to know she misses you.”   
Chris chuckled. “I think at this point I would be deeply offended if your cousin stopped flirting with me even if it is long distance.”   
“You have nothing to worry about. Trust me.”   
“I’ll let you go. My baby girl needs her rest.”   
“That she does. She’s been moving around all day.”   
“Get some rest then. I’ll talk to you later.”   
“Okay. Have fun. Make good decisions.”   
“Come on, who are you talking to?”   
“A Boston frat boy, who else?”   
Chris laughed heartily. “I feel like I should be offended but I’m not. Goodnight, Ken.”   
“Goodnight.” 

* * *

Chris had been gone the whole week leading up to Thanksgiving to spend time with his family and was set to come back a couple days later. He always loved being back home especially during holidays. Being around the noise and chaos that was his family always made him happy. He was excited to fly back to California however and immediately went to Kenda’s after he landed. He let himself in and found her on her bed wrapped in a throw blanket munching on apple slices and peanut butter straight from the jar as she watched tv. When she saw him, she perked up.   
“You’re back! How was Boston?”   
Chris walked over to hug her and kiss her on the forehead before swiping one of her apple slices.   
“It was great. Everyone sends their love.”   
A bad reality show was on tv and Chris gave Kenda a confused look. “Since when do you watch this shit?”   
“I can’t find the remote so...” she trailed off with a shrug.   
Chris zeroed in on the remote just behind the tv. Looking back at her, he sighed and shook his head. “Can’t find it or don’t want to get up and get it?”   
“Both.”   
Chuckling, he grabbed the remote and tossed it on the bed next to her. They sat on the bed talking and half watching old reruns for most of the day while indulging in various snacks that Kenda stocked up on once her cravings fully kicked in.   
While they were mid conversation, Kenda paused and quickly grabbed Chris’ hand to put it on her belly. A small movement was followed by a hard kick a few seconds later.   
“Woah!” Chris smiled excitedly.   
He hadn’t been lucky enough to catch the baby kicking until then. As much as he talked to Kenda’s belly and sang, he could never get her to move for him. Now that she finally was, he was over the moon. He laughed as he felt more kicks in quick succession before the baby stopped.   
“Happy?” Kenda asked as she smiled at Chris.   
“Beyond happy.” He kissed her belly and rubbed it gently. “Thank you, baby girl.”   
Looking up at Kenda, his smile slowly faded. It was the combination of elation and an intimate moment that made Chris have one momentary lapse in judgment as he sat up and pulled Kenda towards him for a kiss that lingered for too many seconds. As they pulled away, Kenda didn’t realize she had stopped breathing. It came back in a stutter as she looked at him with a mix of confusion and want. A silence stretched on as Chris thought about what he just did and mentally fought himself to not do it again. However it was too late. He felt blood rushing to his dick and all self control was launched out the window. Before either of them knew it, they were kissing again but more passionately. There was a growing sense of urgency as it deepened, Chris gently laying Kenda across the bed as his hands greedily roamed her body.   
Kenda found the strength to pull away. “Wait, should we be doing this?”   
Her own hormones were racing and she wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and enjoy this moment with Chris but the question was suddenly hanging in the air. It begged to be answered.   
“Probably not,” Chris said honestly.   
It wasn’t necessarily an answer she was looking for but she wouldn’t fight it. She gave into the dizzying pull of Chris’ lips on her own as he quickly slipped her shirt up and over her head. Pulling her bra down, he hungrily attacked her breasts, licking and sucking her sensitive nipples. Kenda immediately felt wetness cover her inner thighs.   
“Shit,” she hissed through her teeth.   
Chris sat up and tossed his shirt off before ripping Kenda’s sweats and panties down her legs. He was rushing in a way Kenda had never seen him before, every action impatient like this was something he needed more than a meal or his next breath.   
As he leaned over her body, he pushed his fingers between Kenda’s folds spreading her arousal over her skin before rubbing her clit. Kenda moaned at the sensation that shot through her core. She knew her body was going through changes but she had no idea just how over sensitive certain parts of body could truly get until now. Chris simply rubbing her clit gently made her back arch off the bed. He slipped one finger inside her, thrusting it at an even pace, before adding another.   
“You’re fucking soaking, sweetheart. I can’t wait to feel you around my cock,” Chris said in that deep, throaty voice that was nothing but pure arousal.   
He worked his fingers quicker wanting to see Kenda fall apart like she used to. Watching her mouth fall open and her chest heave made him ache. After all these months, it felt right to be in this moment together giving and receiving pleasure that never disappointed. Kenda grabbed Chris’ wrist and moved her hips, riding his fingers until she pushed herself to the brink and came with loud groan.   
“Oh my God,” she breathed heavily.   
Before she knew what was happening, Chris rolled her over and placed a pillow beneath her stomach. He pushed her thighs apart and arched her back before teasing her entrance with the head of his dick.   
“Are you okay?”   
“Yes. Please just fuck me, baby. Please,” Kenda begged.   
The intrusion of Chris’ length stretching her open made both of them moan. It felt oddly cathartic somehow being connected in this way again. In their clouded minds, this felt right. Chris immediately set a punishing pace, fucking Kenda with all the vigor he could muster.   
“You feel fucking amazing, Ken. God, I miss this pretty little pussy wrapped around my dick.” He curled over her body, a hand roaming over her belly and the fire raging in his body was now a full blown inferno. “I just wanna keep filling you up, keep you swollen just like this.”   
“ I’m gonna come again, baby. Make me come.”   
Chris buried himself as far as he could, every inch of his thick cock massaging Kenda’s sensitive walls until he pulled another intense, body rocking orgasm from her. The noise that was ripped from her throat made it sore and her mind went empty. Chris followed close behind with his own orgasm, a deep growl rumbling from his chest as he covered her walls in thick come, some of it spilling down the inside of Kenda’s thighs.   
They both panted heavily as Chris rolled into his side bringing Kenda with him all while never breaking their connection. He soothingly rubbed her belly and kissed her neck as she shivered against him. Neither of them spoke for fear of losing this small stretch of time. 

It was later in the night when they both woke up still snuggled against one another. Brown eyes met blue, searching for unsaid words. With their minds no longer clouded, they knew a line was crossed. The inevitable had finally arrived. Now it needed to be addressed. Chris sighed and rolled out of bed to put his clothes back on. Kenda sat up.   
“Are you okay?”   
“Yeah. I’m fine.”   
“Um... I think we should talk.”   
Chris paused for the slightest of a second and continued slipping on his pants.   
“I think so. But not now.”   
Kenda’s brow furrowed at his words. “Not now? Okay then, when?”   
His shirt pulled over his head, Chris put on his shoes. “I... have to go. I’ll see you later.”   
He said nothing else as he stalked out of the room.   
“Chris. Chris!” Kenda called after him.   
She pulled the covers up over her body but still felt exposed and confused. A range of emotions flooded her brain and she couldn’t figure out what to do. It felt she had been used even though she tried not to see it that way. Not knowing what else to do, she laid down and let her tears fall freely from her face.   


* * *

  
Two days later, Kenda was surprised when Chris finally came back over. He brought her favorite ice cream and a bag of candy, his impish smile penetrating a small hole in the wall she put up. She didn’t want to talk to him but the nagging voice in her head told her to be a big person and shove any pettiness to the side to hear his reasoning.   
“What’s up?”   
Chris sat on the couch, his hands wiping nervously at his pant legs.   
“I wanna apologize first. The way I left the other night was way out of character for me. It’s just... us having sex happened so suddenly and afterwards, when I started thinking about it, it freaked me out. I didn’t handle it the way I should’ve.”   
“Don’t you think I might’ve been freaked out too? More than anything, I wanted to talk about it with you but you just left me there feeling like some random fuck.”   
“I know,” Chris sighed. “I’m really sorry, Ken. I think part of me deep down wanted to make you feel how I felt the night you left.”   
Kenda felt the air leave her. Of course it would be a matter of time before that night would become a topic of conversation but she had gotten so used to things being good between them that she secretly hoped the topic would never emerge. She was hurt by his confession but could she really be angry when she understood how he felt?   
“Chris.” Kenda leaned forward with her elbows braced on her knees. “I know no amount of apologizing will probably ever make up for what I did that night but I never wanted to break your heart like that. I was distraught,I wasn’t thinking clearly and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t wanna leave you, end things like that but... honestly, would you have let me leave had I stayed until the next day?”   
Chris mulled over the question silently, his fingers grazing over his facial hair. He never thought about that before. “Maybe not. But at least we could’ve talked it through, figured out where to go from there. That would’ve at least made it a little less harder in the long run especially with this surprise being an outcome.” He placed a hand on Kenda’s belly.   
“That’s fair. So was the other night a mistake?”   
“No. Granted, it came out of nowhere and I was feeling,like, a million different things. Hanging out with you, feeling baby girl kick for the first time. I couldn’t help myself and frankly I didn’t want to. Something about knowing you’re carrying my child... I can’t describe the feeling but it’s been taking over a lot lately. What about you? Do you regret it?”   
“You’re asking a pregnant, hormonal woman if she regrets very welcome, spontaneous sex? Absolutely not.”   
They both chuckled and Kenda rested her hand over Chris’, her thumb stroking his hand softly.   
“We might be in a weird place now but it doesn’t change how I feel about you. I still love you more than anything and I think I always will. And not just because of our daughter. Even if nothing were to happen between us again, know that you’re one of the most important people in my life.”   
Kenda didn’t know for sure if there was perhaps even a hint of love left over after all this time from Chris. To hear him say it made her heart jump with joy.   
“I’ll always love you, Chris. Lover, friend, father of my child. Whatever the title may be, you’ll always remain a piece of me and I’m grateful. I wouldn’t want anyone else here with me.”   
Chris pulled Kenda in close and squeezed her in tight hug. “I love you.”   
“I love you, too.” Kenda pulled back and kissed Chris on his nose. “Are we done with this sappy shit now?”   
Chris laughed. “I suppose.” 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recommend listening to 'Sea of Love' by Cat Power for this chapter.

_**Late Summer, 2013** _

Kenda sat in her backyard adjusting her maxi dress as she watched everyone mill around talking animatedly and having a good time. It took a while to get her baby shower planned but she pulled it off and was finally able to sit back and relax. She ran her hands over her large, protruding bump. The baby was due soon and she was growing more excited with each passing day.   
The shower went as planned with all of the people Kenda invited having a good time playing the games she had set up and indulging in the food that was made. Adina stayed by her daughter’s side making sure she had everything she needed as she reclined in her chair. Presents piled up on a nearby table and soon enough, Kenda was ripping into them. There were tons of clothes all in different colors and spanning to age one as well as adorable shoes and accessories. There were enough diapers to keep the nursery stocked for a couple months at least. It seemed like everyone in attendance wanted to make absolutely sure Kenda didn’t go without a single thing no matter how small. At each turn, there were packages with bottles, pacifiers, burping cloths and bibs. Monika even bought nursing bras as it was at the top of Kenda’s list of things she needed.   
By the end of the shower, there were so many gifts sitting out that they covered two tables. As people left, they wished Kenda luck on her birth and requested lots of pictures when the baby finally came. She and Adina took everything to the nursery and put them in their appropriate places all while gushing over how cute it all was.   
Kenda felt her phone buzzing in the pocket of her dress and pulled it out to see Chris’ name on the screen. She smiled. Ever since he left to go film, they hadn’t been able to talk as much as they were used to but that never stopped them from at least sending each other messages and pictures of their day to day lives.   
“Hello?” she answered.   
“Hey. How’s the shower?”   
“It’s over now. Mom and I are organizing the nursery. This kid is spoiled already. It’s ridiculous.”   
“The first kid is always spoiled. Plus, my baby girl deserves only the best.”   
“Mmhmm. That’s coming from the guy whose already wrapped around her finger and she’s not even here yet. How’s filming?”   
“Great. We’re wrapping soon so I’m hoping to be back before the due date.”   
“That’s good. The doctor said we could be looking at me having to be induced at a pretty early date. She’s measuring pretty big right now."   
“Well, if that turns out to be the case, I can come back sooner.”   
“You sure? I really don’t want you to miss this.”   
“Relax, okay? I’ll be there. I promise. I’m raising my pinky as we speak.”   
Kenda laughed. “Pinky promises are sacred. Don’t commit unless you’re absolutely sure.”   
“Cross my heart, hope to die. I promise.”   
~~~

Kenda gave an annoyed grunt as she rolled over in bed and fixed the giant pregnancy pillow between her legs. She had been feeling uncomfortable for a few hours since she woke up with dull cramps in her stomach. When she called her mother to ask if she should go to the hospital or not, Adina assured her it could have been Braxton Hicks. She told her to just relax and rest unless the pain worsened. Now, after a long soak in the bath, the pain hadn’t changed but she still felt uncomfortable. Her cell chimed next to her on the bed and flashed a message from Chris.   
_‘Headed back to Cali. Can’t wait to see you. :)’ _  
Kenda smiled for the first time. Chris had been off filming the next Captain America for the whole summer and was finally coming back. They talked when they could, most conversations consisting of the baby and counting down the days until her due date arrived. Finding a name was still a challenge for them both. Kenda wanted something creative and unique while Chris liked more simple names. A whole notepad sat in her hospital bag dedicated to names she really liked and was trying to narrow down. Aside from names, everything else was smooth sailing. Both families eagerly awaited the moment they would get the call that Kenda was in the hospital. Shae had even flown out from Ohio the week before so she could be there for the birth. The excitement her cousin constantly exuded sometimes made Kenda think that Shae was having the baby in the end. Rubbing her hand over her belly soothingly, Kenda hummed a song. She found that singing would calm the baby and sometimes she would fidget around as if telling her she liked what she heard. It made her excited at the possibility of singing her daughter to sleep one day.   
The cramps in her stomach didn't stop the urge to grab a snack so Kenda left her bed to waddle to the kitchen. Just as she reached her fridge, a burst of liquid hit the floor beneath her feet. She looked down with mild confusion before shock quickly registered on her face. 

"Oh shit." 

Waddling back to her room, she snatched up her phone and dialed Chris' number. It automatically sent her to voicemail and Kenda cursed the voice telling her to leave message. 

"My water broke. She's coming. Get your ass home soon please!" 

She hung up and immediately dialed her mother. 

"Hello?"

"Mom, my water just broke."

"What?! Are you sure?" 

"I'm looking at the wet spot on my shorts right now." 

"Oh my God. Okay, okay. Get your bag ready and your dad and I will be there as soon as possible. Okay?" Adina spoke hurriedly as there was a commotion on her end of the line. 

"Okay. See you soon." 

"See you soon, honey." 

Kenda hung up and dialed Shae's number next. 

"What's up, boo? You having my baby yet?" 

"My water just broke, bitch. This baby is coming." 

"Shut the fuck up! Don't lie to me, Kenda!" 

"Shae, I swear to God. I'm having this baby. Get to the hospital. We'll be there soon." 

"Shit, don't tell me twice. I'll see y'all there." She ended the call with an ear piercing squeal. 

Kenda set her phone down and took a deep, steadying breath. Looking down, she smiled at her bump. "See you soon, baby girl." 

~~~

Within an hour, Sterling was helping Kenda into the car and they were on their way to the hospital. The first contraction hit just as they arrived, Kenda doing her best to breathe through it while Adina kept the time on her watch. They wheeled her inside where they got checked into a room. Kenda changed into the uncomfortable gown they offered her and they set her up in her bed as they placed an IV in her hand. Monitors were attached to her to keep track of hers and the baby's vitals. Kenda was surprised to find herself as calm as she was. The only thing making her nervous was not hearing from Chris. She knew he would show up in time but the only thing that wouldn have settled her nerves was hearing him say the words. 

Four hours later, contractions were increasing in intensity little by little as Kenda writhed in bed trying to stay comfortable. She was growing somewhat irritated not being able to eat anything other the ice chips Shae kept bringing her. A small stereo played music softly in the room helping to keep the atmosphere calm and she sang quietly. Eventually, Kenda was able to doze off just for a little bit before a contraction woke her up. She cursed under her breath and groaned as the pain ran its course through her body and finally waned after a minute. Just then, running footsteps came towards the room and Chris entered out of breath. 

"You made it!" Kenda said happily. 

Chris rushed over to Kenda's side kissing her forehead. "I got your voicemail the minute I got off the plane. I had to rush home then rush here. Are you okay? Is the baby good?" 

"Everything is fine. Doc says I'm at 6 centimeters. Her heart rate is fine, all our readings are perfect. I'm glad you're finally here." 

"I promised you I'd make it. Starting to think she knew I was on my way home. My girl can't wait to see me." 

Kenda rolled her eyes. "Oh please. If anything she's excited to see me." 

"If you say so." 

Chris smiled and smoothed Kenda's curls back before taking her hand in his. Finally feeling content, Kenda laid back. The hours seemed to drag on as everyone sat around the room talking. By late evening, the contractions were getting closer together and the pain was so intense the doctors recommended an epidural which Kenda refused. She was determined to have a natural birth although an epidural sounded like heaven in the moment. One last examination showed the baby was crowning and it was time to start pushing. Shae stood off to the side and held Adina's hand as they looked on eagerly. Chris planted a kiss on Kenda's cheek. 

"You got this." 

“3,2,1. Push!” the doctor encouraged from the foot of the bed.  
Kenda used every ounce of energy she could muster to push, her mind focusing only on that one action. It was unbelievably painful and sweat poured down her face but all she wanted was to be done with everything. The doctor counted down steadily from 10 and told her to breathe as she rested. Chris stood next to Kenda’s side, his hand squeezing hers reassuringly.   
“You’re doing great, babe.”   
The next contraction came around and she was pushing again as the doctor counted down.   
“We’ve got shoulders, Kenda! She’s almost out!”   
Kenda faintly smiled as she panted heavily. Her body felt weak and she was exhausted but she willed herself to channel her energy into one more big push. Between Chris talking in her ear, her mother encouraging her from the side of the room and the doctor urging her to push, it all felt so noisy chaotic in the room. All sound seemed to fade away as blood rushed in her ears. Pushing as hard as she could one last time, she finally felt relief as she rested.   
“And here she is!”   
Kenda looked up and saw a little red person with lots of dark hair being raised up and unto her chest. Sound came back in a rush as a high pitched cry filled the air. The momentary shock of seeing her child before her face immediately brought on tears as Kenda began to sob, her hands wrapping protectively around her daughter as the doctors wiped her off.   
“Hi my sweet girl!” she weeped. "I'm so happy to see you."  
Chris was overcome with emotion as he broke down in tears at the sight of his baby girl, the person he and Kenda created together. He smoothed the hair away from Kenda’s face and littered kisses across her cheek before kissing her lips.   
“You’re fucking amazing. You did it, sweetheart.”   
They smiled at one another before looking back down at their daughter.   
“Happy birthday, baby girl.”   
  
  


Kenda stroked the baby’s cheek as she nursed quietly, her wide eyes slowly blinking. Adina and Sterling stood nearby taking pictures while Shae sat next to Kenda on the bed watching the baby like a curious child as she played with her tiny fingers.   
“I can’t get over how adorable she is." 

"I know right? She's too perfect." 

"Have you settled on a name, Ken?" Sterling asked. 

"I was thinking about Great Grandma's name recently, Jodelle. Kinda leaning towards it." 

"That's a beautiful name," Chris said. He stroked the baby's cheek gently as he looked at her with all the love in the world. "What about a middle name?" 

"It has to make sense. Don't make some ghetto shit," Shae chimed in. 

Kenda chuckled. "You know me better than that." 

They all stared at the baby for a few silent moments thinking to themselves. 

"She almost looks like she belongs in a cartoon she's so cute," Shae gently squeezed her tiny fingers. "Why not name her after a Disney princess?" she said jokingly. 

That made Kenda perk up almost instantly. "You know what? I like that." 

"Are you serious?" Adina asked, her head cocked. 

"There's actually one name I've always really liked and it's from a Disney princess." 

"Oh lord. What is it?" 

Kenda looked over at Chris and smiled knowingly. "Kida." 

Chris smiled back and nodded at the name. "I like it." 

"That is a pretty name," added Shae. 

Sterling and Adina shrugged. "It's unique. I've never heard it before." 

"Kida Jodelle...Evans?" 

"You'd give her my name?" Chris asked in sincere shock. 

"Baby's are always named after the father. That's how it is in my family at least. Do you want her to take your name?" 

Chris' heart stirred. "I mean I'd love for her to have my name, of course. So long as you're okay with it." 

"I am. Evans sounds right to me." 

"Kida Jodelle Evans," he repeated. "I like it." 

Kenda smiled at her now sleeping daughter. "Our little Kida." 


	15. Chapter 15

Kenda was discharged a couple days later and Chris drove her home where Lisa, Scott, Carly and Shanna were waiting excitedly to greet the baby. They all gathered inside the house and asked Kenda how she was feeling as they took turns holding Kida. Chris looked on from afar proudly. He loved that his family still treated Kenda like one of their own even if they weren’t together. And it was obvious that they were immediately falling in love with Kida. While everyone sat in the living room, Kenda took the time to go take a nap. The two nights in the hospital were mostly spent fretting over the baby or sleeping uncomfortably. More than anything, she was glad to finally be back in her own bed.   
Later that evening, Kenda came back out feeling more rested than before despite how sore she was. Everyone had left save for Lisa who was in the kitchen with Chris helping him cook while Kida slept in her swing. They were talking and Kenda didn’t mean to eavesdrop until she heard her name being mentioned.   
“So how are you and Kenda doing?” Lisa asked.   
“Fine.”   
“Have you two talked at all about maybe getting back together?”   
“Mom, come on.” There was an air of annoyance in his tone.  
“I know, I know. We’ve been through this and I’m sorry for bringing it up again but Chris, honey, you two belong together. You have a daughter together. You both just work.”   
“Trust me, I’ve thought about it. There’s some lingering feelings but we can’t focus on that right now. Our attention has to go to Kida. Maybe further down the line, if we wanna talk about it, we will. For now, she’s the mother of my child. We have a perfectly fine relationship now as friends. I feel like contemplating picking back up from where we left off could complicate things.”   
“Fair enough. I just wanted to know.”   
Kenda listened and felt an odd mix of feelings. After the night she and Chris slept together, they had only addressed their relationship once. She never stopped to evaluate whether or not she wanted to get back together with him throughout the pregnancy. It was like they were best friends who just so happened to be having a kid together. It was nice and easy, no labels. Their families understood their dynamic and didn’t question it. Now, Kenda gave it a thought for the first time in months. She still felt strongly about Chris and thought she always would. They had a bond before they broke up and through her pregnancy it only strengthened. There was still love between them. If they wanted to be together again, would she be okay with it? The question had to be shelved at the sound of Kida fussing in her swing.   
“Smells good in here,” Kenda said putting on her best smile as she entered the kitchen. She picked Kida up from the swing, adjusted her bear ear hat and kissed her. “Hello my sweet girl.”   
“Hey, how’d you sleep?” Chris asked.   
“_So_ _good_. You can’t pay me enough money to try to sleep in those hospital beds again.”   
Chris chuckled.  
“Are you hungry, sweetie? We’re finishing up the spaghetti,” Lisa said over her shoulder.  
Kenda hummed appreciatively. “That sounds so good right now. I’m starved.”   
The three of them sat down to dinner and enjoyed each other’s company. Lisa gave some tips about how to handle the first couple months with a new baby around and helped her devise a sleep schedule. After washing the dishes and helping put the food away, Lisa bid her goodbyes to her son and Kenda.   
“I’ll see you again, princess,” she said to Kida. As she walked out the front door, she gave a final wave. “I love you guys. Goodnight.”   
“Goodnight, mom. Love you,” Chris said.  
“Love you,” Kenda waved.   
They both sat on the couch and Chris took Kida in his arms. He couldn’t get over the fact that there was this little person he helped make and how beautiful she was. She had Kenda’s dark curls, big eyes and pouty lips that pursed just like her mother’s when she slept. He kissed her head and laid her on his chest, her little legs curling up under her.   
“I can’t stop looking at her,” Chris said with a sigh. “I never thought I would actually see the day where I’d be holding my own kid. It’s surreal.”   
Kenda watched lovingly from the other end of the couch, smiling at Chris slouching on the couch with Kida’s body in a ball on his chest.   
“I know. I still can’t believe she’s actually here. When I woke up, I forgot for a second that I wasn’t pregnant anymore. Almost miss it.” Kenda absently touched her still protruding stomach. “You wanna stay over? The spare room is fixed up.”   
Chris considered the invite before answering, “I think I’ll head back to my place. I don’t have any clothes and two nights of sleeping in a stiff ass chair is making me miss my bed. I’ll be back over first thing in the morning though.”   
“Fair enough.”   
After a while, Chris readied himself to leave after he put Kida in her crib. Kenda turned on the baby monitors and set one by her side as she lounged on the couch. Putting on his jacket, Chris grabbed his keys.   
“You alright? Need anything before I go?”   
Kenda shook her head. “I’m good, thanks. Sure you don’t wanna stay?”   
“Thanks for the offer but I’m sure.”   
“I’ll see you in the morning then.”   
Chris walked over and leaned forward to give Kenda a hug and a kiss on the forehead before leaving.   
“Love you, Ken.”   
“Love you too.”   
  


* * *

Kenda wiped the sleep from her eyes as she used her breast pump. After the first few weeks of being home, a routine had been established and she was finally getting used to it until Kida started getting unusually fussy one week. Soon, it seemed like every waking minute was filled with Kida crying nonstop. She only seemed to be consoled by music, her swing or Chris whenever he was there to hold her. Kenda tried her best to keep the baby comfortable sometimes to no avail. Luckily Chris was there more often helping out. They hoped that colic wasn’t the reason for Kida being so upset but, after a doctors visit, it was proven to be the cause.   
As the next month came around, the crying spells only worsened. Soon they were resorting to walks and drives to lull Kida to sleep. Chris felt bad but tried to maintain a positive attitude especially for Kenda’s sake. The stress was obviously taking its toll on her. The sleepless nights made bags appear under her eyes and she found herself getting irritable when she didn’t mean to.   
Around 11 o’clock one particular night, Kenda woke up to feed Kida who kept taking her bottle and then refusing it much to her frustration. Kenda rocked her in her arms and sang _‘Hey Jude’_. The crying stopped and eventually Kida fell asleep. Once she left the nursery, Kenda went to the kitchen. She wanted a drink more than anything but as long as she was breastfeeding, alcohol wasn’t allowed. Not knowing what to do, she stared into the fridge blankly.  
Chris sat at the kitchen table reading quietly. “You alright?”   
Kenda didn’t respond.   
“Ken?”   
Still no response. Chris set his book down and stood up, walking to where Kenda was standing in the doorway of the fridge. He touched her back and suddenly she was sobbing. Turning to bury her face in Chris’ chest, she wept and sniffled into his shirt as she hugged him tightly. Chris rubbed her back soothingly.   
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Shh. I’m here.”   
“I feel so fucking useless,” Kenda managed between sobs. “It’s like my baby is in pain and I can’t fucking do anything about it. Every time I hear her cry it breaks my heart. I want this to be over.”   
Chris pulled away from Kenda to grab a paper towel and wiped her face. “Look at me. You’re not doing anything wrong, understand? Sometimes babies get colic. All we can do is our best to make her feel comfortable and just wait for this to pass which it will. You’re a good mom. Don’t beat yourself up over this, okay?”   
Kenda nodded sadly. She looked defeated and it hurt Chris to see her like this. Her hair was in disarray, her sweats and tee shirt were disheveled and she just looked pitiful. Taking her hand, Chris led Kenda back to her room and into the bathroom.   
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice raspy.   
“It’s important that whenever she’s sleeping, you take some time for yourself and I’m gonna make sure you do that.”   
Chris started the shower and adjusted the temperature until it was warm. Kenda watched him gather her hair products and organize them on the bathroom sink. “Get in.” Chris gestured to the shower.   
Kenda gave him a confused look but did as he said, stripping out of her clothes and getting in the shower. The water felt good on her skin and she automatically relaxed beneath the stream, the tension easing out of her muscles. She was surprised to see Chris step into the shower behind her. For a second, she was taken back by the sight of him naked. The last time they shared such an intimate moment was when they slept together. She forgot how great Chris looked in this state. His muscle had toned down since he finished filming but he was still on the larger side. His hair had grown out a little longer than she was used to and his beard was slowly growing in. Kenda averted her gaze before she was caught staring. Chris reached over her to grab the detachable shower head and squeezed the trigger to let the water soak Kenda’s hair before placing it back in the holder.   
“Face front,” Chris said as he twirled his finger.   
Kenda turned. There was a click behind her and after a few seconds, Chris’ hands were massaging shampoo into her hair and scalp. Her eyes closed and she relaxed as she enjoyed feeling Chris wash her hair with gentle fingers. She had been neglecting her hair lately, only ever bothering to leave it in buns, ponytails or a half assed braid down her back. It felt nice not having to touch it especially since she was so tired. The fact that Chris cared enough to do this for her made her heart swell. Once the shampoo was worked through, it was rinsed out and Chris put in the conditioner next.   
“You remember my routine?” Kenda asked with a half smile.   
“Not entirely. I figured you’d tell me if I was doing anything wrong.”   
“Thumbs up so far.”   
Chris took the detangling brush from the shower caddy and began brushing Kenda’s hair. After mistakenly starting from the top, he quickly went to the ends and worked his way up like she had taught him early on. Kenda smiled at his self correction.   
After the shower, Kenda wrapped herself in her bathrobe while Chris wrapped a towel around his waist. He immediately began putting product in Kenda’s hair with her helpful commentary. The look of complete concentration on his face as he made sure he did everything right made Kenda want to laugh. This was one those moments when she missed being in a relationship with him. Everything was always simple, comfortable. He was always adorably attentive.  
Once her hair was restored to its former glory, Kenda smiled and turned to hug Chris.   
“Thank you.”   
“You’re welcome. I’m always here, you know that.”   
Kenda tilted her head up and met his eyes, the world freezing around them. It almost felt like instinct for her to kiss him, their lips meeting with slight hesitation. Chris pulled away before it deepened.   
“Kenda, you’re feeling vulnerable right now. I don’t wanna take advantage of you.”   
“You won’t be.” Kenda tried to kiss him again but he pulled back further.   
“I can’t. Things can only get complicated if we act on this now. I don’t want that to happen.”   
Kenda tried to hide her disappointment as she released her hold on Chris with a quiet nod and walked out of the bathroom. Chris mentally cursed himself as his head dropped.   
  


* * *

Kenda took her time going up and down the aisles of the grocery store picking up what she needed. After almost a month and a half of Kida being colicky, she was finally better and Kenda was able to get out of the house for the day.She made sure to take full advantage of the opportunity; She was able to spring for a deluxe car wash and treated herself to takeout from a local soul food place before going to the store to stock up. It was nice to have a break from the baby and the house even if it was just for a few hours.   
With all her food picked out, Kenda went to get a bottle of wine. Some nervous calls to her doctor confirmed that one drink was fine so long as she didn’t breastfeed too soon after. She looked over all the different brands until she found the one she liked. As she put it in her cart, a man walked past her before doing a double take and stopping.   
“Excuse me. Have we met before?”   
Kenda looked at the man in question, recognition crossing her face.   
“The karaoke bar last year.”   
“Oh yeah, yeah. You sang that Amy Winehouse joint.”   
“I did,” Kenda said proudly.   
He looked like did that night only this time his fade had grown into loose curls and his goatee was now a full, glossy beard. He looked every bit as good as he did at the bar.   
“What’s your name again?”   
“Kenda.”   
“Right. I’m Jay. Crazy running into you again. Still got that boyfriend?”   
Thinking of Chris made Kenda feel guilty all of a sudden as if she was cheating on him. She remembered then that they hadn’t been together in a year and for now, relationship talk was off the table. She had nothing to feel guilty about or so she thought. Was there harm in answering with— 

“No. We’ve been apart for some time now.”   
“So that means if I give you my number this time, you’ll actually call?”   
“I guess we’ll see.” Kenda felt her old flirty self come out.   
Jay smiled and handed her his phone. “Your number for mine?”   
Kenda shrugged and took his phone while giving him hers and they both entered their numbers before switching off again.   
“I’ll give you a call.”   
“Sure hope so,” Jay said giving Kenda a quick scan before walking off.   
Kenda bit her lip as she smiled but it fell as she thought about Chris again. They would have to talk sooner rather than later.


	16. Chapter 16

Kenda brought the groceries into the house and looked over to where Chris was playing with Kida in the living room. The entire drive back home, she thought about how she would initiate the conversation. Her nerves were twisting knots in her stomach. It would be best to just be straightforward.   
With everything put away, Kenda went to the living room and sat on the couch.   
“Feel better?” Chris asked.   
“Yes. I never thought doing something as simple as going shopping would improve my mood.”   
They watched Kida move around in her chair and look excitedly at the toys hanging over her head. After a prolonged silence, Kenda took a breath and made herself speak.   
“Hey, um, can I ask you something?”   
“Of course.” Chris shifted his attention to Kenda with a curious look.   
“I was thinking... would it be okay if we started seeing people?”   
“Oh.” Chris was taken aback by the question. “Is... is that what you want?”   
Kenda shifted her weight awkwardly, her heart pounding in her chest. “I mean we haven’t been together in quite a while now and it’s my understanding that we were just trying to focus on Kida for the time being and kinda just staying friends. I figured it wouldn’t be so bad if we talked to other people, maybe went out on some dates. If nothing is happening between us, what’s stopping us from seeing someone?”   
Chris felt like a pit had opened in his stomach. He knew one day they would have to talk about this stuff but he was almost trying to prolong it out of fear. What would it be like if they finally decided to move on from each other? He couldn’t help but think to the night they showered together. The look on Kenda’s face when he rejected her advance was stuck in his head for days after that. He wondered if she decided then that they were better off not pursuing anything more.   
“I’m not against it. Are you sure that’s something you wanna do though?”   
“Pretty sure. I really don’t want things between us to be awkward if we end up meeting anyone we like.”   
Chris forced a smile. “We’re both adults, Ken. If we can’t deal with the other person seeing someone we can talk about it. Otherwise, I don’t have an issue with it.”   
Kenda smiled and got up from the couch, kneeling down to hug Chris. “You’re still important to me. You know that, right?”   
Chris hugged her back. “Yeah, I know.”   
Kenda planted a kiss on his cheek before walking off leaving Chris to think about what she said. Part of him yearned for what they had before but perhaps their time to possibly pick up where they left off had run out. Chris resigned himself to that thought as he looked at Kida, a sad smile forming on his face.

* * *

  
As fall came around, Kenda was feeling more like herself pre motherhood as she got back into the swing of dating. When Kida would spend a couple days with her parents or Chris, she was going out with Jay. So far he had taken her dancing, skating and out to the same blues bar she and Chris went to at the start of their relationship. The realization made Kenda want to leave for fear that such a good memory would be replaced with another mans face. Instead, she willed herself to go inside and have a good time. It was the first time in a long time she sang in public and she almost forgot how freeing it felt. As they got to know one another, Kenda found herself growing smitten with Jay. She was nervous to tell him about Kida at first but his own admission of having a 5 year old son made her feel better.   
It took a few dates for Kenda to get used to being around another man that wasn’t Chris. Every time they talked, she felt guilty and wondered if Chris would be jealous or if he would move on from her rather quickly like she seemed to be doing. There was already the slightest tinge of envy for the future woman he would be with. She would have to keep reminding herself it was okay to move on, healthy even. If they couldn’t be with each other then they at least deserved happiness with someone else.   
On top of growing more attracted to Jay, Kenda noticed her sex drive had returned with a vengeance. After a mostly sex free pregnancy and having to wait even longer post partum, she was ready to dive back in and Jay took notice. For all his southern hospitality and being a perfect gentleman, he had a raunchy side that made Kenda blush. She tried to will herself to wait but another side of her completely took over after a particularly great date that ended at her house. Jay attempted to engage in conversation but was cut off when Kenda jumped him on the couch, her lips clashing with his in a heated kiss. Somehow they made their way to her bedroom before they began ripping one another’s clothes off like horny teens. When she was naked, Kenda was never self conscious. She loved her body and everything about it. However, after Kida was born, she had moments of low self esteem seeing the small pooch on her midsection and the stretch marks creasing her skin. Jay assured her through kneading hands and kisses that she was still sexy regardless before laying her on the bed and going to work between her legs.   
Feeling a tongue lapping at her pussy was overwhelming, especially one as long and slick as Jay’s. He took an abundant amount of time eating her out and savoring her juices and Kenda loved every moment. She lost track of how many times she had come from his mouth alone. As she caught her breath, Jay stood up, his dick in full view and standing at attention. Kenda looked at the thick member between his thighs, her mouth salivating. She wasted no time getting to her knees and taking him in her mouth. He was incredibly long, reaching the back of her throat with each stroke, and she loved every bit of it.   
“Goddamn girl, slow down. I don’t wanna nut just yet,” Jay groaned above her.   
Kenda smiled seductively as she removed him from her mouth with a loud pop. Jay lead her to the bed and put her on all fours, lining himself up with her slit before sliding in slowly. Kenda felt her body turning to jelly as she felt herself stretching open.   
“Fuck,” she moaned, her face burying into the bed.   
“Uh-uh, we ain’t doing that hiding shit,” Jay said as he wrapped Kenda’s hair around his fist and pulled her up. “I wanna hear what you have to say.”   
He pulled back and slammed into her harshly repeating the same rhythm. With each stroke he made sure she felt every bit of him. Kenda lost herself in how good it felt. With one hand still pulling her hair, Jay put his other hand around her throat and kissed her, his tongue tasting her and capturing her moans of appreciation. “You feel so good. Deeper please,” Kenda begged.   
“Show me how bad you want it, baby girl. Throw that ass back.”   
Kenda playfully grinded her ass back against Jay, shaking it to her own little beat, before bouncing back against him desperately. Jay moaned as he enjoyed the view of Kenda’s ass, his hand giving a hard smack.   
“Shit!” Kenda faltered in her pace.   
“Don’t stop.”   
“Are you gonna punish me if I do?”   
Jay smiled at her tone and fed into what she wanted. “You wanna be punished?”   
“Yes, please.”   
Kenda felt Jay slip out of her before she was flipped onto her back and her legs were thrown up and over his shoulders. Leaning forward, Jay kissed her as he slid back inside her pussy and pounded her without mercy. Kenda cried out as her hands knotted into the comforter beneath her. At this angle, Jay was hitting a spot that was sure to have her making a mess in no time. His hands laid slaps to each side of her ass and Kenda felt her lower belly tighten as the knot there threatened to come undone.   
“Don’t come yet, baby.”   
“Please let me come. I can’t hold it. Please,” she begged, her words slurring.   
“Not until I say so. You wanna be punished? I’m gonna punish you.”   
Kenda bit her fingers and tried to clench her thighs, anything to push her oncoming orgasm back but it was building much too quick.   
“Please, I can’t hold it. I’m gonna come!”   
Jay smiled wickedly as he worked her into an explosive orgasm, her pussy squelching loudly as she squirted. Kenda screamed into the room as her body felt like a hot wave had crashed against it. Jay pulled out and dipped his fingers inside her collecting the mess she made before pushing them into her mouth.   
“Someone can’t follow directions huh?”   
Kenda smiled. “I never said I was a girl who follows directions.”   
“I’m gonna fix that.” 

* * *

The next morning, Kenda woke up sore and relaxed. Jay had thoroughly fucked her into submission and left her incoherent the night before. Looking over, she saw he was already awake on his phone texting.   
“Good morning,” Kenda said as she laid on his chest.   
“Morning. You sleep good?”   
“Oh yeah. Thank you,” she gave a cheeky smile.   
Jay chuckled as he sat up. “You’re welcome. As much as I wanna stay, I gotta head home. I’m supposed to take my son to his game in a couple hours so I need to get ready and then go pick him up.”   
“Okay. I’ll walk you out.”   
Jay got dressed and they walked to the front door sharing one last kiss before he left. As Kenda stood in the doorway, she smiled and waved as he pulled off. Chris immediately pulled up noticing the mystery man leaving the house. He gathered Kida and her bags before carrying her to the door.   
“Hi little bear!” Kenda said happily.   
Chris noticed how mussed her hair was and how she had an odd glow to her skin. He knew that look anywhere. He’d been the reason for that look on many nights long ago. A wave of jealousy passed through him.   
“New friend?” he asked trying to seem disinterested.   
Kenda shrugged. “You could say that.”   
She took Kida’s car seat and brought her inside with Chris following behind.   
“How long has he been around?”   
“Not long. We’ve been on a handful of dates, nothing super serious.”   
Chris was curious about this new guy it he knew inquiring would only give him answers he didn’t really care to hear. He chose to drop the subject altogether.   
“I’m going to New York in December for a shoot. I shouldn’t be gone too long.”   
“Nice! Is this for the movie you’re directing?”   
“Yeah.”   
“That’s cool. I’m proud of you.”   
“Thanks.”   
Chris scanned the tee shirt and not shorts Kenda was wearing. Even with evidence of a recent fuck from another man, she still looked as beautiful as always. Clearing his throat, he gave Kida a kiss. ”Alright, I’m gonna head home.”   
“Okay.” Kenda picked Kida up and held her hand up. “Say bye-bye, daddy.”   
Chris couldn’t fight his smile as he waved at his daughter. “Bye my little peach. I’ll see you later.”   
Kenda walked him to the door. Chris stopped, his mouth opening to say something before he changed his mind and proceeded out the door. As he got back in his car, he looked up to see Kenda still in the doorway waving. He waved back and sighed. As he drove off, he rested his head against the headrest of his seat.   
“Boy did you fuck up,” he muttered to himself.   
~~~

Kenda sat in her backyard watching Kida in her bouncer as she dialed a number on her phone.   
“Hey boo,” Shae answered sullenly.   
Kenda immediately took notice. It was rare that Shae was ever in a bad mood or sad. “You okay?”   
“Girl, I fucked up.” There was a click of a lighter on the other end and blowing.   
“If you’re smoking, it must be bad. What’s up?”   
“Sam and I had some friends over last night and we were all drinking and smoking, having a good ass time. I got so fucked up I barely remember everything but I do know at some point, I ended up going to my girl Ronnie’s house. Next thing I know, we’re having sex. I was so drunk I don’t even remember driving back home but Sam said he had to carry me inside. I told him everything and he hasn’t talked to me all day.”   
“Damn, Shae.”   
“I know. I feel so bad. He shouldn’t be with someone like me.”   
“Don’t say that. Everyone makes mistakes but if he loves you like I know he does, he’ll forgive you. You’ll get through this, both of you.”   
Shae sighed heavily. “I don’t know, Ken. I really hurt him. This isn’t something that can be easily forgiven no matter how much he loves me. I mean people always say you can’t turn a hoe into a housewife and that shit ain’t a joke. Sam made me calm down a little bit I still party, I still do drugs, I still do shit I have no business doing and look where it got me.”   
Kenda didn’t know what to say. She loved her cousin dearly. The fact that she was always having fun and getting into trouble was one thing she always loved about her. But at some point, the would have to stop and she would have to grow out of that part of her life. It was just unfortunate that it took something like this for her to come to that realization.   
“Just look at this as a wake up call. You realize what you did was wrong and you were adult enough to own up to it. That does count for something. Like I said, if Sam loves you, he’ll forgive you. You’re not a cheater, Shae. You fucked up but you’re not a cheater or a hoe.”   
Shae sniffled on the other end and too a puff from her cigarette. “I hope you’re right.”   
~~~

Kenda received a call from Shae two days later. Her cousin wept as she told her that Sam was too heartbroken to get past her blackout incident and decided to break things off. Kenda stayed on the phone with her for hours as she cried and yelled and cursed herself for what she did. It killed her to hear her cousin in such pain and not be there in person to hug her and console her. The situation was only made worse when Kenda found out later in the week that when Shae told her parents, they got mad at her for not only cheating on Sam but doing it with another woman. They decided that until she wanted “help”, she was no longer allowed to speak to them or come to anymore family gatherings. That left her practically homeless with no one to turn to.   
“What am I supposed to do?” Shae sobbed on the phone.   
“You know what? Fuck them! I’m bringing you out here, you’re living with me.”   
“I can’t do that. You already have enough to deal with taking care of Kida.”   
“Shae, you’re staying with me. No arguments, no if’s, ands or but’s. That’s it. I’ll pay to fly you out her myself. I don’t want you dealing with this alone, understand?”   
Shae tried to compose herself as she cried. “You’d really do that for me?”   
“You’re like my baby sister. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, girl.”   
“Thank you, Ken. Thank you so much.”   
“I got you. Work on getting your stuff together, I’ll look up some flights and we can get some travel plans in order.”   
Once Kenda was off the phone, she was so angry she found herself dialing Chris’ number.   
“Hey.”   
“I need someone to vent to. You free?”   
“Yeah. What’s going on?”   
Kenda relayed the entire story to Chris right down to the last detail as she paced her room, Kida watching from her chair.   
“I’m so fucking pissed at my aunt and uncle. Like who can so easily dismiss their child? Their own fucking child! Over their sexuality! I couldn’t imagine doing that to Kida. I’m just so upset for Shae, you know? She’s wild, yes, but she’s also the sweetest fucking person I know. She doesn’t deserve this!”   
Kenda found herself crying as she took a breath.   
“Calm down, Ken. Don’t get too worked up. At least you cared enough to wanna take her in with you. All that matters is that she has people to fall back on. Her parents and your family members who think less of her, they don’t fucking matter. She knows she’s got you and I know you’ll help her through this.”   
Kenda wipes her eyes on her sleeve. “I’m sorry for taking your ear off. I really needed to get all that off my chest and I didn’t know who else to turn to.”   
“I get it. It’s a rough situation. You want me to come over?”   
“No, that’s okay.”   
“You sure?” Chris secretly hoped she would say yes and was slightly disappointed when she didn’t.   
“I’m sure. I need to start working on getting things together for Shae. I appreciate you listening.”   
“No problem.”   
“I’ll talk to you later.”   
“Okay. Bye, Ken.”   
“Bye, Chris.” 


	17. Chapter 17

Chris laid across his bed with his arm slung over his face as he held his phone to his ear, his tone exasperated as he spoke.   
“I hate that I didn’t say anything sooner. Why didn’t I tell her? I mean if she gets serious with this guy, that means he’s gonna be around Kida more often. And who’s to say that while I’m away, she won’t start calling this guy daddy? I just... fuck! I should’ve told her how I felt.”   
Scott was on the other end of the line listening to his brother and feeling pity for him. “I doubt Kenda would ever let Kida think anyone else but you is her dad. You should talk to her regardless. Even though she’s seeing this other guy, it hasn’t gotten to the point where they’re talking about moving into a full on relationship. Just be straight up with her. Tell her how you truly feel about this.”   
Chris sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.   
“I think it’s too late, man.”   
“Would you rather go on regretting never having said anything to her even if it doesn’t change anything or would you rather tell her and let her decide what she wants to do? You think she’s completely moved on from you but you don’t really know that. Talk to her.”   
It was silent while Chris mentally weighed his options. Part of him thought it was pointless but Scott was right. He wouldn’t truly know how Kenda felt about him unless he pushed his anxiety to the side and talked to her.   
  


Kenda watched Jay play with Kida with a smile as she prepared dinner. They had gone on a few more dates in the last couple weeks and the sex only seemed to get better with each interaction. She was thoroughly enjoying the time they were spending together and was growing attracted to Jay but it felt like something was keeping her from wanting to go further with him. Whenever she stopped to think about it, she never saw anything progressing past fun dates and casual sex. She also noticed that since Jay started coming around, Chris was interacting with her less. It made her feel bad and she found herself missing when he would just come over to hang out and they would talk while watching movies. She missed just being around him in general. He wouldn’t say it to her directly but she could tell he was having a hard time seeing her with someone else. No matter what it seemed like their feelings for each other would never change and they both hated and love it.   
  
  


By the time December came around, Chris still hadn’t talked to Kenda and he had all but convinced himself not to, telling himself it wasn’t worth it. Instead, he kept forcing a cheerful demeanor. Leaving for New York felt like the perfect opportunity to clear his head and maybe get some perspective on things. Meanwhile, Kenda was facing her own conflict; Jay had fallen fast for her and wanted to move to the next phase of their relationship but Kenda was doing her best to keep that from happening as she made up bullshit lies about not quite being ready or wanting to give it a little longer. The excuses were running low but she couldn’t quite make herself tell him that she didn’t see things going any further. Frankly, she was discovering that even though his personality was wonderful and he treated her like a queen, she only ever really wanted him around when she was horny and wanted to scratch an itch she couldn’t get herself. It wasn’t until Shae talked to her that she decided it wasn’t fair to keep stringing Jay along if nothing was going to come of it.   
They went out for an evening walk and Kenda regretfully broke the news to him. Jay was hurt and slightly disappointed but he was understanding, even thanking her for being honest.   
“If it’s okay, can I ask you something?”   
“Sure.”   
“Let me know if this is too personal of a question but does this have anything to do with your baby daddy?”   
Kenda half sighed, half laughed. “Maybe a little bit. Our relationship is... complicated to say the least. Lots of unspoken words that we need to get off our chest, y’know?”   
“I feel it. I wish that this wasn’t an issue because I really wanted to see something happen with you but you gotta work on shit on your own time. I can respect that.”   
“I appreciate you understanding. And I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. If I wasn’t in such a weird place, I think it would’ve worked with us. You’re a good guy, Jay. Maybe our paths will cross again at some point.”   
“I hope so. Until then,” Jay lifted Kenda’s hand to his lips and kissed it softly, “I’ll just have to wait.” 

* * *

_ ** Spring 2014 ** _

“Look what cousin Shae Shae did!” Shae squealed happily as she skipped into the kitchen holding Kida.   
Kenda turned around with a smile. “Uh oh. What did you teach my child?”   
Shae put Kida down. “Watch.”   
Kida held onto Shae’s hands as she took a few tentative steps forward before Shae let her go and Kida successfully took a few more steps alone before falling. Kenda clapped happily and picked her daughter up.   
“Good job, little bear! You’re walking like a big girl now!”   
Kida smiled showcasing two little teeth poking out of her gums. Over the last 8 months, she had grown into a smart, rambunctious little girl. Kenda already loved her more than words could say but she felt that love doubling each passing day if that was possible. Each new landmark was met with excitement on all sides and Kenda couldn’t wait to tell Chris.   
“We have to call daddy and tell him you’re walking! You wanna talk to daddy?”   
“Da-da-da,” Kida babbled.   
“Okay, lets go call.”   
Kenda carried her to her bedroom and set her laptop on the bed before turning it on. Taking out her phone, she texted him.   
**_‘Video call? I’ve got news.’_**   
A response came through a couple minutes later.   
**_‘Good news I hope. Headed to my trailer now.’ _**  
After a few minutes of waiting, Kenda’s laptop chimed an incoming video call. She hit accept and Chris appeared on screen, his Captain America costume just visible.   
“Kida, who’s that?” Kenda said.   
Kida flailed excitedly as she recognized her dad on the screen, her attempt at talking coming out in adorable babbling.   
“There’s my girl!” Chris said as he smiled. “How’s my peach doing?”   
“We did something new today thanks to Shae Shae.”   
“Yeah? What’s that?”   
Kenda was nearly vibrating as she exclaimed, “She took her first steps all by herself!”   
“What? Wait, are you serious?”   
“I’m so deadly serious. She took about three steps all by herself.”   
“Good job, peach! That’s my girl! I wish I could be there to see it.”   
“I’ll send you a video.”   
“Deal. So other than that, anything else new?”  
“Just the same shit, different day.” Kenda caught herself and looked down at Kida. “Oops. I meant same _stuff_, different day.”   
Chris chuckled. “Well I’ve gotta head back. It’s gonna be a long shoot today and we have to finish it before dark. So I’ll talk to you guys later.”   
“Okay. Be safe.”   
“Always.” Chris looked at Kida, a big cheesy grin on his face. “Bye, peach. Love you.”   
“Say bye-bye, daddy,” Kenda said, waving at the screen.   
Kida followed her mother’s movements with curious eyes before waving, a gummy smile spreading across her cherub face. They both waved goodbye as the call ended.   
“Let’s go walk some more, big girl.”   
  
  
Kenda sat outside Chris’ house with Kida playing with one of her toys until Chris arrived in the back of a large SUV.   
“Daddy’s home!” Kenda said excitedly as she stood Kida up on her feet.   
Chris got out of the car, sunglasses adorning his face, and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder before grabbing a suit case. He smiled seeing his two favorite people waiting for him on his front porch. Kida rushed over to him on shaky legs and Chris let his bag fall to the ground before sweeping her up in his arms.   
“There’s my peach!” He littered her face in kisses and squeezed her in a hug. “I missed you so much.”   
Kenda joined them on the lawn, grabbing Chris’ suitcase with one hand and reaching out for a hug with the other.   
“Welcome back, Captain,” she said with a sly smile.   
Chris hugged her and kissed the top of her head, giving a small laugh. “Thank you.”   
Picking up his duffle, they all headed inside where they comfortable; Chris put his bags away before sitting with Kida on her playmat and teasing her with toys, silly voices and tickling. He hated that he missed seeing his daughter grow while he was away for months at a time but when he was finally able to come back home and hold her, he remembered that now his job had new purpose and he was doing it all for her.   
Kenda spent the rest of the day at Chris’ watching Kida climb on him and have her fun, her sweet laugh filling the air. The whole image made Kenda feel like they were a happy family. They later settled down for takeout and eventually Kida fell asleep peacefully with Chris holding her and swaying gently, his cheek resting on her fluffy curls.   
“Want her to stay the night?” Kenda asked.   
Chris didn’t dare to move as he answered, “Yeah. I missed holding her. I don’t even wanna put her to bed.”   
Kenda smiled. Seeing how soft Chris was whenever he held Kida never failed to make her heart melt. She readied herself to leave as she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her purse.   
“Hey, you wanna get lunch tomorrow? Maybe hang out for a bit?”   
Kenda paused. “Sure. I could get Shae to watch Kida for a few hours. Got a specific place in mind?”   
“Phil’s?”   
A smirk formed on Kenda’s face. “Sounds good to me.”   
~~~  
Kenda couldn’t help but keep thinking about Chris’ lunch invitation long after she left and what his reasoning behind it was though she had an inkling. There was a growing sexual tension between the two of them that started when Chris was away. During a slow night on set, he found himself calling Kenda to see how things were going with Shae moving in and helping with Kida. He didn’t expect to hear her tell him that she and Jay were no longer seeing each other or that she didn’t plan on seeing anyone else any time soon. His curiosity got the best of him and he asked why, feeling the slightest bit of happiness that he wouldn’t admit to. Kenda didn’t have the heart to tell him that there were still lingering feelings but Chris could almost glean from how hard she tried to make up an excuse that she was trying not to tell him the truth. Chris finally mustered his courage and blurted out his own truth.   
“I wanna be with you, Kenda.”   
She was awestruck and couldn’t form a coherent thought let alone a sentence.   
“I... wh... are you serious?”   
“I am. I should’ve told you way before now but I kept telling myself it wasn’t a good time or that you wouldn’t feel the same. And then you brought up us seeing other people and you were seeing Jay. I thought I missed my chance but I can’t keep this bottled up anymore. I just wanna be with you, Ken.”   
Kenda felt her heart race. She didn’t know how good it would feel to hear those words coming from him and she wanted to admit how much she wanted to be with him as well. However, a nagging thought tugged at her brain and she couldn’t hold it in.   
“Chris, I’ve wanted to be with you since the day I left, that’s never changed. But I still don’t think I can handle the fact that you’re away for weeks at a time. It’s somewhat easier having Kida because we talk pretty much every day but...” Kenda trailed off.   
“We don’t have to figure it out now. The fact that it’s out there, that you know this, is enough. I just had to tell you.”   
~~~  
Once Chris came back for Christmas, they didn’t bring up the conversation but their feelings were out in the open and just hanging in the air waiting to be acknowledged. They continued to stay there even after he had left to film once again. Kenda chalked it up to both of them not knowing how to go about talking about this weird situation they were in. Perhaps some time dedicated to just the two of them would put everything in perspective.   
The next day they met at Phil’s and sat down over lunch. The conversation started off simple enough with Chris talking about how well his shoot went while Kenda brought up that she was on the road to a promotion. Chris was the first to bring up their talk.   
“So I’ve been giving a lot of thought to our... confessions. I don’t know how you’re feeling but me myself, I wanna give us another shot. I feel like we don’t work as well being apart. There’s entirely too much between us to just let go of.”   
Kenda nodded in agreement as she folded her hands in front of her on the table. “I feel the same. But if we’re gonna try to work things out, I have to get used to you being away so much. That was the whole reason behind our downfall and I don’t want that to happen again. And honestly, I don’t think I could quite warm up to it so fast if we did work things out. I mean it would be easier if I could up and travel with you but I can’t just be away from work for big gaps of time especially if I’m gonna get promoted. Plus, moving around with Kida being so young wouldn’t be easy either. There’s too many variables to figure out here.”   
“I know. But we’re worth it, Ken. Whatever we have to do to make this work, I’m willing to do it. Frankly, I just want you with me again.” Chris reached across the table and took one of Kenda’s hands in his own. “I can’t imagine what life would be like had you not showed up and I can’t imagine what it’d be like without you. There’s something between us that can’t be severed. That means something.”   
Kenda looked at their hands linked together before glancing off out of the window they sat in front of. Chris was right. What they shared together was special and couldn’t be easily broken no matter what the circumstances seemed to be. It was like the universe was trying its hardest to force them together. It was seemingly both a blessing and a curse. But if there was truly a chance they could work, any sacrifices were worth it.   
“If we decide to do this, I wanna start slow. Build back up to what was and go from there.”   
“I’m totally fine with that.”   
“So... are we... together?”   
“I think so,” Chris said as he grinned, an eyebrow cocked. 

* * *

  
  
They should have known that no matter how they tried, it would the ultimate challenge not to keep their hands off one another once they cleared the air. After Phil’s, they went for a walk and Chris couldn’t stop himself from holding her hand or hugging her close and kissing her forehead. Of course those little displays of affection lead to innocent turned heated kisses that eventually lead them back to Chris’ house.   
Chris practically dragged Kenda to his room before removing every piece of her clothing and his own. Laying her on the bed, he pushed her legs up and spread them before diving between them, his tongue lapping at her sex greedily. Kenda missed feeling Chris eat her out with his expert tongue. He always made sure he gave his all to the act and never shied away from making a mess. His appreciative moans following every lick made Kenda tremble. Her first orgasm found her in no time as she clutched the sheets and moaned aloud. Chris refused to stop after just one, continuously coaxing one after another from Kenda and making sure she rode out each one.   
“Fuck I missed tasting you,” he said after licking Kenda clean. “You look so cute when you come.”   
Their mouths met and Kenda tasted herself on Chris’ tongue. Never breaking their connection, Chris pulled Kenda up and into his lap, his cock nudging her lips. Kenda took him in hand and pumped him a few times before settling over him.   
“Oh shit,” Kenda said in a drawn out whimper.   
“You missed me, didn’t you?” Chris smiled arrogantly.   
“So fucking much, baby.”   
“Then ride me like you missed me, sweetheart. This dick is all yours.”   
Kenda did just that, riding Chris like she had something to prove and Chris was in heaven, his eyes rolling back into his head. It wasn’t long until Chris came harder than he thought he would as a growl erupted from his throat.   
They collapsed together on the bed trying to catch their breath as sweat beaded on their skin. Chris wrapped his arms protectively around Kenda, his fingers massaging into her back softly. Looking at one another, they shared a smile.

~~~

Kenda woke up to the faint sound of Chris talking in another room. She got out of the bed, slipped on a shirt and a pair of Chris’ boxers before walking to the kitchen. As she got closer, she heard Chris angrily telling someone to make sure something was taken care of. He ended the call with a curt “bye” before slamming his phone on the kitchen counter, his breath coming out in a frustrated sigh as he raked his fingers through his hair and across the back of his neck.   
“That didn’t sound good. What’s up?” Kenda asked as she entered the kitchen.   
She took a water from the fridge and leaned against the counter taking a sip as Chris stood across from her with his arms crossed.   
“That was my publicist. I don’t want you to freak out but apparently someone got video of you and I at Phil’s and us walking together. It was put on TMZ about an hour ago.”   
Kenda felt her heart drop to her stomach and suddenly the water lost its taste.   
“Are you serious?”   
“Yeah. I don’t want you to worry though. I’ll handle it. The only people that know about you and Kida are my agent and publicist and I wanna keep it that way. Both of you guys and your privacy are too important to me for anything to get out about you. For all anyone has to know, you’re someone I got a little too friendly with and it can be left at that.”   
Kenda nodded slowly, her eyes focused on nothing. For as long as she and Chris had known each other, there was always an unspoken rule that their life together was their life and his life as the famous Chris Evans was separate. He only allowed people to see what he wanted them to and to learn only what he wanted them to learn. Kenda and eventually Kida were always off limits to the public.   
Chris stepped in front of Kenda and took her water from her hands to set it on the counter before taking her hands in his and tilting her chin up.   
“Hey, talk to me. You okay?”   
Kenda cleared her throat and answered with a hoarse, “I’m good. I mean it’s not like anyone knows who I am but my face is out there now. Not sure how to go about handling that information.”   
“I know and I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone had followed me out there. I’m not surprised that they pulled some shit like this though.”   
“I don’t blame you. We were having fun. Neither one of us would’ve thought to check and see if someone just happened to be recording us or taking pictures.”   
“I still feel terrible about it.”   
“The life of a celebrity, huh?” Kenda meant for it to sound like a joke but it just came out sad.  
Chris scoffed, a half smile forming on his face as he pulled Kenda in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled her face in his chest. So many thoughts ran rampant in her head but one stood out above the rest: This is why she couldn’t handle the other side of Chris’ life and maybe why them being together wasn’t such a good idea after all. 


	18. Chapter 18

  
The atmosphere was extremely delicate following that day. Kenda was unintentionally turning inward and Chris was trying to save them before everything imploded when it had just restarted. It drove Kenda insane trying find it within herself to balance life with Chris and the outside world. It was just too difficult for her though. She even made the mistake of going online and reading comments, some negative but most of them positive and leaning in favor of their coupling. Still, that wasn’t enough for Kenda to reconsider the thought of letting things go any further.  
They both knew what was coming the night they laid in bed together with Kida sleeping quietly next to them. Neither of them wanted to say anything, to hold onto this stretch of time in silence for as long as they could.   
“Do you think we’re only meant to be friends? To raise Kida without the stress of a relationship weighing us down at every turn?” Kenda asked.   
“I don’t know anymore. I wanna hold out hope for us. We swore we’d work through this.”   
“Maybe you need someone who knows this lifestyle, who lives it. I don’t know the first thing about any of this. I like privacy and to live my life without fear and if it’s so easy for some stranger to take a picture of us while we’re out minding our own business, all of that disappears. And the last thing I ever wanna do is keep you from being who you wanna be out there.”   
“You could never do that, babe. I’ve been doing this for years now and I’m still not used to what goes on when cameras are being shoved in my face. My family is my one constant, you and Kida especially.”   
“And we’ll still be your family. But we can never be happy together when your schedule or paparazzi or whatever else is getting in the way. I love you so much and I hate even saying this out loud but I want you to be happy with a woman who doesn’t have issues with your lifestyle. She’s out there somewhere and... she’s not me.” Kenda’s voice broke.   
Chris squeezed her tightly. “I don’t want us to end like this.”   
“Neither do I. But if I know us, we’ll get through it. Even if we’re not together, we still share one thing in our life and that’s our baby girl. We can show her how healthy things are even if we aren’t a couple.”   
They both looked over at Kida’s sleeping form. Chris grazed her cheek with his fingers and smoothed her curls away from her face.   
“I wanted her to know a home with both of us in it. Nothing but love. Our own little unit. But if this is the only way we can make this work,” Chris paused as he took a deep breath, “then I guess this is where we get off.”   
Kenda felt her eyes sting and a tear rolled down her cheek. “I love you, Chris. And I got you no matter what.”   
“I love you too. You two will always be the best things to ever happen to me.”   
They held each other for the rest of the night and into the morning until Chris reluctantly went home. There was no last kiss, no parting hug. Even though they both felt the hurt that the previous night brought, they knew better than to dwell. They had no choice but to accept things as they were now and go about their lives.   
  
Over the following few months, they worked out the perfect schedule divvying up their time with Kida spending every other week with Chris and planning to split holidays. For a while, the mood was sullen whenever they were around each other. Interactions were curt and full of half smiles as well as fleeting looks of longing as they parted ways.   
By the time Kida’s first birthday came, a comfortable partnership had developed between the two and they were able to be in the same room without the usual awkwardness. Their families were heartbroken to learn that they weren’t working things out after all but continued to support them and their arrangement surrounding Kida. Chris’ family still called Kenda just to talk and see how she was doing, even extending invitations for her to visit Boston. Kenda’s parents were also quick to let Chris know he was always more than welcome to family gatherings and that there was always a place for him. Sterling even stopped by on occasion just to have a beer and talk. 

Meanwhile, Chris was faced with questions of the mystery woman from both strangers and his friends on set following the release of the pictures. Of course he felt comfortable telling some of his costars about Kenda and Kida with confidence that they wouldn’t let out his secret. He felt a small sense of relief being able to tell other people close to him and they were overjoyed to find out he was a proud father as they gawked at pictures of Kida. 

Slowly but surely they were able to let go of what used to be and focus on what was to come of life from that point on.

~~~

_ ** 2016 ** _

Kenda let her arm hang out the car window as she drove through the valley singing along to Beyoncé. She glanced at the rear view mirror to see Kida dancing and belting along with the lyrics from her car seat and smiled. It was a secret hope of hers that her daughter would grow to love music and singing as much as she did and that turned out to be the case.   
Over the Bluetooth her phone chimed a text message from Chris:

** _‘At your place. I think your neighbor thinks I’m a stalker so can you hurry?’ _ **

  
Kenda shook her head and chuckled as she sped down the road. She pulled up in front of her house and helped Kida out of her seat as Chris got out of his own car.   
“Daddy!” Kida screamed as she ran to him.   
“There’s my peach,” he said as he lifted Kida into his arms and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I missed my girl. How’ve you been?”   
“Good. I missed you.” She wrapped her arms around Chris’ neck.   
Kenda smiled at the two. As close as Kida was to her, she was daddy’s girl through and through. Their bond was something Kenda never fully understood and never tried to. It made her happy just to see how soft Chris turned whenever Kida was near.  
“I got a surprise. You wanna see?” Chris asked excitedly.   
“Yeah!”   
He looked up at Kenda. “What about you?”   
“Am _I_ gonna like this surprise?”   
“I think so.” There was a goofy grin on his face.   
Chris opened the door to the backseat and a dog with light brown and white fur jumped out with his tail wagging rapidly as he looked around.   
“Are you serious?” Kenda asked with a mix of surprise and amusement.   
“I didn’t have a choice. He was too sweet to be in a cage. His name is Dodger.”   
Kida squealed. “He’s pretty!”   
“I know. Go ahead and pet him.” He put Kida down and knelt next to her so they could pet Dodger.   
Kida giggled as the dog sniffed and licked at her hand. Kenda wasn’t the biggest animal person but even she had to admit he was adorable. She bent forward to give him a scratch on his head and caught a figure move from the corner of her eye. There was someone sitting in the passenger seat of Chris’ car.   
“Another surprise?” she nodded.   
Chris followed her eyes and responded, “Sort of.” He peeked through his window and gestured for the stranger to come out.   
From the passenger seat emerged a short tan skinned woman with dark curly hair down to her shoulders. She smiled as she rounded the car.   
“Kenda, this is Jenny. Jenny this is Kenda,” Chris introduced the ladies.   
“Nice to meet you,” Kenda said, extending her hand for a shake.   
Jenny reciprocated. “Nice to meet you as well.”   
“And this is the princess also known as Kida,” Chris pointed to his daughter.   
Jenny bent down and offered her hand. “Hello, Kida. I’ve heard so much about you. You’re a beautiful girl.”   
“Thank you,” Kida responded shyly as she shook her hand. “Are you my daddy’s friend?”   
“I am.” A blush crept across Jenny’s cheeks.  
Kida tugged at Chris’ shirt. “Daddy, she’s pretty.”   
They both laughed, Jenny clutching her chest at the sweet comment.   
“I think so too,” Chris responded.   
He and Jenny shared a look and Kenda watched them with her own little smile. It made her happy to finally see Chris with someone. When he first told her about Jenny he was away shooting in Georgia. She could tell he was trying to downplay just how much he was crushing on her but she knew him better than that. It felt like she was watching her best friend find their partner. A very small part of her yearned to be the one Chris looked at like that again but those feelings had long since gone away. They finally managed to find a peace amongst each other that they were comfortable with.   
“So what are you guys getting into tonight?” Kenda asked.   
“Well I wanna get this little guy acquainted to the house and then dinner and movies. I’m thinking pizza.”   
“Yeah!” Kida jumped on her toes excitedly.   
“Well don’t let me halt your plans any further. Kida baby, run inside and get your bag,” Kenda said.   
“Okay.” Kida turned to Jenny with a hopeful look. “Do you wanna see my room?”   
“I’d love to,” Jenny smiled.   
The two walked into the house leaving Chris and Kenda alone.   
“She’s cute,” Kenda said, motioning to Jenny.   
“Why do I feel like you’re leaving something off of that statement?” Chris squinted.   
“I’m not. She’s really cute. A little smaller than I thought you were used to but...” Kenda trailed off with a shrug.   
Chris laughed as he shifted his weight, his hands pushing into his pockets.   
“Hey I don’t discriminate. Tall or short, big or small, I like all bodies. Although I might have a bit of a preference.” He looked her up and down before wiggling his eyebrows.  
“Uh huh.” Kenda rolled her eyes as she smiled and lightly shoved him. “Really though, she seems decent. Kida seems to like her already.”   
“That’s one thing I was nervous about before I brought her along. I wanted you all to get along.”   
“You know you don’t have to worry, Chris. All I care about is that our baby is treated right with whoever you choose to date.”   
“Of course. You know I’d never let someone treat her unfairly.”   
“Oh I know. The last thing we need is me embarrassing you and your girlfriend for mistreating our daughter.”   
Chris snorted. “Not gonna lie, it would be kinda entertaining to see that fight.”   
They laughed as Kida skipped out of the house with Jenny in tow, her unicorn backpack strapped to her.   
“Ready!”   
“Alright. Let’s go, peach.” Chris helped Kida into the backseat and strapped her in before letting Dodger leap in beside her. He turned to Kenda. “See you Sunday?”   
“Sunday,” Kenda repeated with a nod. She leaned her head into the back window and gave Kida a kiss on the forehead. “Bye baby. I love you. Have fun, okay?”   
“Okay. Love you, mommy.”   
She waved as Chris pulled off and felt the slight drop of her heart that accompanied Kida being gone. With the house empty for the next week, she decided she would make the most of it. Pulling out her phone she sent out a text as she went inside.

* * *

Smokey’s Den was packed for a Saturday night but it didn’t bother Kenda. The more people there were, the better the reception was to the music. As she sat at a table, she smiled at her phone as she watched a video Chris sent her earlier of Kida enthusiastically singing along to Moana as Dodger howled next to her.   
“What are you smiling so hard at?” Shae asked over her shoulder as set some drinks on the table.   
Kenda held up her phone and replayed the video for her to see.   
“Aw, look at my girl! Little mama is hitting those notes like her life depends on it.”   
Shae sat down on the other side of the table and her girlfriend Eva sat next to her. It was the first time in a couple years that Kenda had seen her cousin genuinely happy again. After she moved to LA, she had nearly turned into a recluse, only leaving home for work. The breakup between her and Sam left her to rethink a lot of the decisions she made and her behavior up to that point. She seemed content with watching Kida for a while until Kenda finally urged her to get out more, meet people and make friends. It wasn’t until one faithful night out with Monika and a few other friends that Shae caught Eva’s eye.   
Eva was a beautiful olive skinned woman who stood at 6’1 with blonde hair down to the middle of her back and piercing hazel eyes. She took to Shae the moment she saw her and immediately struck up a conversation with her. Kenda could tell by the way Shae nervously played with her hair and kept shifting her body weight from one foot to the other that she was automatically smitten. From that point on, they were nearly joined at the hip. Eva waited on Shae hand and foot and treated her like a precious jewel for which Kenda was grateful. Seeing her cousin happy again and madly in love made her feel like she was watching a dream couple together.   
Kenda took a pull from her beer as she put her phone away. The band set up on stage for the patrons as the emcee got on the mic and warmed up the crowd.   
“We’ve got a club regular and a favorite in the house tonight and she’s ready to give y’all a show so let’s make sure we give all our love to Ms. Kenda Mills.”   
There was an uproar as Kenda went up on stage and took a quick sip of her beer before setting it down.   
“Feels good to be here. How’s everyone?” There were some whoops and cheers in the crowd. “I wanted to start off with something real simple. This is a song I sing to my daughter and it’s one of my favorites.”   
An acoustic guitar started strumming as Kenda launched into her rendition of ‘Beautiful’ by India Arie. Once the song ended, everyone in the crowd went crazy and Kenda ate it up. She had started going to Smokey’s more often and found a comfort in singing. Plus, the staff and band loved her so much that they offered her the chance to sing regularly if she wanted. Kenda jumped at the chance and made it a weekly thing to go to the club and sing at least a few songs, some of which people knew and some they didn’t. It never stopped them from fawning over Kenda’s voice and her stage presence. She was becoming a natural and enjoyed the rush she felt. It filled something in her that nothing else truly could.   
  
  


As soon as Kenda left Smokey’s, she pulled out her phone. There were a bunch of missed calls from her parents and unread texts. Concern bubbled up as she called her mom. The line picked up after the second ring.   
“Kenda.”   
“Mom, what’s up? You guys alright?”   
“It’s Nana, honey. She’s in the hospital. Your father and I are catching an emergency flight out to Ohio to see her.”   
“Wait, what happened? Is she okay?”   
“She was complaining of headaches for a while and she checked herself in. They found an aneurysm.”   
“Oh my God.” Kenda clutched her chest. “Okay. I’ll go back home and pack and try to catch a flight out as soon as I can.”   
“Be safe. If I get any updates I’ll let you know. I love you, Ken.”   
“I love you, mom. I’ll see you when I get there.”   
They hung up and Kenda immediately called Shae to tell her the news. She agreed to fly out with her once she packed a bag. Her fingers trembled as she called Chris.   
“Hello?” His voice was groggy from sleep.   
“Hey. I have to fly home and I don’t know how long I’m staying. Could you keep Kida a little longer if need be?”   
“Sure. Is everything okay?”   
Kenda sighed shakily as she got in her car. “Nana is the hospital. They found a brain aneurysm.”   
“Jesus, is she okay? Do you want me to come with you?”   
“No, no. Stay home. Everything is okay as far as we know but my parents are on their way to Ohio now and Shae and I are gonna try to find the next flight out. Just tell Kida I’ll be back soon and give her a kiss for me, please?”   
“I will,” Chris replied sincerely. “Keep me posted. Everything will be fine, Ken.”   
“I hope so.”


	19. Chapter 19

Kenda haphazardly threw clothes into a suitcase as she spoke quickly to an employee at the airport. Her thoughts were running so fast she had trouble focusing on packing her toiletries as she tried not to snap at the woman on the other line. It was after midnight when she and Shae eventually made it to the airport and boarded their flight. Shae held Kenda’s hand almost the entire time as they stared quietly, hoping that when they landed there was good news.   
Sterling met the girls once they landed. Even though they hadn’t heard any negative news, they still embraced one another tightly. Undoubtedly the most important person in the family was having a health issue nobody saw coming and, like any family going through a similar situation, they found themselves reflecting on their own mortality and praying Nana would pull through.   
By the time they arrived at the hospital, Adina was sitting next to her mother’s bed holding her hand as she slept quietly. For the first time in Kenda’s life, her grandmother looked weathered and frail, not like the woman she knew before.   
  


"Is she okay?" Kenda asked as she went to stand next to her mother. She grazed her fingers over Nana's hand. 

"She's been out for a little bit now," Adina answered. "They'll be taking her to surgery soon. The doctor said they want to operate and fix the leak before it can rupture." 

"Oh God." 

The room fell silent as everyone stood around the bed with their hands joined. Adina prayed softly for her mother’s recovery. Shortly before surgery, Nana finally awoke surprised to see her family surrounding her. 

"Dina baby, when did you get here?" 

"Mom," Adina perked up and kissed her mother on the cheek. "We haven't been here long. We all flew out as fast as we could. How do you feel?" 

"My head hurts something fierce but I'm okay. Don't worry about me." Nana turned to her granddaughters and smiled. "My baby girls are here, too? My goodness, I'm feeling all kinds of love tonight." 

Kenda tried to force a cheerful smile as she hugged Nana and Shae followed. "You know we had to be here for you." 

"I appreciate it. This ain't nothing the good Lord won't let me get through though. Y'all don't worry about Nana, I'm gonna be just fine. Hear me? Now where's my little ladybug?"

"It’s Chris’ weekend so she’s with him. He sends his well wishes."

Nana smiled and winced in pain slightly. "He's such a sweet boy, God love him. You let him know the day I leave this hospital, I'll make a big pot of greens just for him."

Chuckling, Kenda took her hand. "You can tell him yourself once you get out of surgery."

~~~

Three hours dragged on for what felt like an eternity as the family sat in the waiting room tired but too anxious to entertain the idea of sleep. Adina sat on the phone talking to various other family members to update them on what was happening currently. Sterling was half paying attention to a muted baseball game while Shae rested her head on Kenda’s shoulder and played a game on her phone. Kenda happened to look up to see Nana’s surgeon walking out of the operating wing and stood up while her family followed. The surgeon stopped in front of them with a seemingly neutral look on his face that Kenda tried to decode.

"Mrs. Mills?" the man asked referring to Adina. 

"Yes, sir. Is my mother okay?"

The surgeon removed the cap from his head and took a breath. "We were able to get to the leak but it ruptured in the middle of surgery. We then tried our best to repair it but unfortunately, the bleeding was far too severe for stop. I'm very sorry to say that she passed a short time ago."

Shae gasped audibly and clutched her chest as a sob escpaed. "Oh my God!"

Kenda stared at the surgeon as the words slowly washed over her and a wave of nausea smashed into her. She wrapped Shae in her arms as she wept and looked to her mom who nodded sadly and thanked the surgeon. She buried her face in Sterling's chest and hugged him tightly, her shoulders shaking. In the quietness of the waiting room, Shae and Adina’s sorrowful wails sounded amplified. Kenda understood what was just said to her but even so, she had a hard time believing it. Her face was unreadable as she comforted her cousin and mother.

They all later arrived at Nana's house as the sun had risen, a contrast to the mood in the car. The moment they stepped inside, it felt haunted without her presence. The usual sweet but faint smell of an apple scented candle filling the house was barely there now. Kenda looked around at the framed pictures covering the walls of every member of the family with Nana in the center.   
“You girls can take the couches or the guest room,” Sterling offered.   
Shae didn’t answer, her expressionless face swollen from tears.   
“We’ll sleep down here. Thanks,” Kenda said.  
Adina said nothing as she trudged up the stairs and once again Kenda felt her heart break for her mom. Sterling looked after her and sighed heavily before looking back at Kenda.   
“Okay. I love you both. So much. Try to get some rest.”   
“Love you, daddy.”   
Kenda kicked off her shoes and went to the hall closet where she knew Nana kept spare blankets and pillows. Shae didn’t bother to change her clothes as she curled up on the couch, her body immediately giving in to sleep. Kenda covered her with a blanket before taking the opposite couch and wrapping her own blanket around her.   
  


* * *

Kenda sat next to her mother at the front of the room and kept a firm hold of her hand even as their family members came up to hug her and give their condolences. Quiet sniffles filled the room with the occasional sob but the only thing that could be heard was soft music playing over the low hum of conversation. Kenda fixed her skirt and tried not to look too long at the casket in front of her for fear that she would break down.   
“Mommy!”   
Kida ran up the aisle and jumped into Kenda’s lap faster than she could catch her.   
“Hi little bear,” Kenda said as she hugged her daughter, slightly caught off guard that she was there in the first place.   
Suddenly Chris came up the aisle, his hands in the pockets of his suit. He stopped at the casket and lightly rested his hand on top of Nana’s for a few seconds before he turned around and offered a kind smile to the others. Kenda told Chris about the funeral but still, part of her didn’t think he would show up.  
Adina stood and smiled. “Chris, honey, it’s so good to see you.”   
They shared a hug. “Good to see you too, Adina. I’m so sorry for your loss.”   
“Thank you.”   
Sterling stood and shook Chris’ hand before pulling him in for a hug, Chris giving a comforting pat on the back.   
“Kida, why don’t you sit with Gigi for a bit? Keep her company for me,” Kenda said.   
“Okay.” Kida fixed her dress and climbed into Adina’s lap. “Hi Gigi.”   
“Hi baby girl.”   
Kenda stood up just as Chris stepped in front of her.   
“I wasn’t expecting you to come.”   
“Of course I did. How could I not be here with you?” Chris said genuinely.  
Tears threatened to fall from Kenda’s eyes and she quickly hugged her arms around Chris’ torso and he reciprocated as he kissed the top of her head.   
Soon, the service began. One of Kenda’s uncles gave a sermon in Nana’s honor before others were allowed to come up to give testimonies and tell stories. It was the first time Kenda saw Adina smile and have a genuine laugh as she listened to relatives tell humorous stories. Finally, it was Kenda’s turn to go up and say something. Her heart pounded as she stood at the podium at the front of the room.   
“Um, I really didn’t plan on coming up here because I was sure I wouldn’t be able to say anything without breaking down. There’s so much I could say about this woman today and none of it would do justice at conveying how beautiful her heart was. I’d like to sing a song in her memory.”   
Taking a shaky breath, Kenda started singing a song she once played for Nana. She remembered how much the song resonated with her and Kenda thought it was only right to sing it now. By the end, the room was filled with a mix of praise and sobs. Even Chris shed a few tears though he tried his best to hide it.   
From the funeral home, everyone proceeded to the burial site where they said their final goodbyes and rested roses on the cream colored casket.   
  


Everyone came to Nana’s house after the service for the repass where the mood was a lot lighter. There was finally laughter amongst the many conversations being held as relatives stood around with plates full of food prepared by various people. Chris mingled with some members of the family who were happy to see him again after so much time had passed and congratulated him on his last few movies. Kenda watched Kida play with her cousins from a distance as she stood in the kitchen helping with making plates and washing dishes.   
“Ken, honey, I can handle all of this. Why don’t you go sit and see the family?” Adina said as she laid a gentle hand on her back.   
“I don’t mind. It’s not a big deal.”   
“Kenda.” Adina made her turn to look her in the eye. “You’ve been doing more than enough this week. Take a rest, go sit down.”   
The sincere look in her mother’s eyes stopped her from making an argument and instead Kenda resigned, offering a half smile to Adina before leaving the kitchen.   
The day went from mournful to celebratory especially once alcohol started flowing. Music played as the family danced and had a good time in Nana’s honor. Evening came and soon, people were retiring to their homes but by bit. Kenda wasn’t quite ready to leave but she also wanted to be back home with Kida again. Chris offered for Kenda to stay in his hotel room so they could fly back to LA together the following day and she welcomed the idea.   
While Chris prepared Kida to leave, Kenda went upstairs to Nana’s room where everyone put their coats and belongings. As she searched for Kida’s coat, she came across an old shawl she recognized as one Nana wore frequently when the weather got colder. She found herself running her fingers over the soft material before picking it up and nuzzling her face into it. The scent of perfume mixed with linen dyer sheets hit Kenda’s nose and right then it finally seemed to hit her that her grandmother was gone. Ever since the night at the hospital, she hadn’t allowed herself to truly feel any emotions. To her it was important to comfort everyone else and help them get through their grief rather than focus on her own. Now, holding one of Nana’s favorite garments that still held the last bit of her scent, Kenda let herself give into what she wouldn’t let herself feel before. Hot tears fell from her eyes as she inhaled the shawl once more wishing her favorite person was still in the world.  
“Hey, Ken,” Chris’ voice called out as he entered the room.  
He stopped when he saw Kenda softly crying into the shawl. Walking over to her, he rubbed a soothing hand down her back. Kenda looked up at him, her lip quivering and her wide eyes glassy. Clutching the shawl, Kenda buried her face in Chris’ chest and cried as her held her in his arms.   
“It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s okay,” he said, quietly shushing her.  
They stayed locked in that embrace for a long stretch of time, Chris letting Kenda get out everything she needed to. Even in this state, she was grateful Chris was there for her. 


	20. Chapter 20

The flight back to LA seemed to go by quicker than any other time. Chris drove the girls home, Kida sleeping peacefully in the backseat while Kenda stared blankly out the window watching the landscape slowly turn into the valley.   
“Are you gonna be okay?” Chris asked.   
Kenda nodded. “I’ll be alright. I still feel pretty bad but I think last night helped some. Now, I just wanna curl up in bed with my baby and try to get through this by remembering all the good things about her. I appreciate you coming all the way out there for the service.”   
Chris rested his hand on the center console on top of Kenda’s and gave it a reassuring squeeze.   
“Like I’ve said before, you know I’m always here for you, Ken. Nothing can change that. Your family is mine and mine is yours. You can’t get away from me.”   
Kenda grinned. “I see that.”   
They finally pulled up in front of Kenda’s house and Chris grabbed their bags from the trunk while Kenda carried Kida inside to her room. As Chris set their bags down, Kenda tucked Kida in and smoothed her curls away from her face.  
“Thanks again.” Kenda turned and gave Chris a hug.   
“Any time.”   
Chris leaned over the bed and gave Kida a parting kiss before leaving. Kenda climbed into bed and hugged Kida close to her chest, breathing in the scent of the coconut cream in her hair. Sleep eventually found her and it was the first time in a week that she felt rested despite the sadness still plaguing her.   


_ **Late Summer** _

Kenda sat in the backyard sipping on a glass of wine as she watched Kida splash around in the new pool that was installed earlier that day. Her fingers traced the small tattoo on her inner wrist of Nana’s name absently. Music played from the speaker on the patio and Kenda adjusted her sunglasses as she smiled at Kida giggling in the water.   
“This is new,” Chris’ voice appeared from behind.   
“I decided to make a little investment. She likes it. I figure she can get in a few swims in before the weather starts changing.”   
Kida noticed her dad standing in the yard and happily stumbled out of the pool soaked from head to toe.   
“Daddy!”   
She ran to him with her arms flailing in her water wings.   
“Get your towel, bear,” Kenda said.   
It was too late as Kida jumped into Chris’ arms immediately soaking the front of his shirt. Kenda waved her hand dismissively as Chris laughed and gave his daughter a squeeze.   
“We got a pool!” Kida exclaimed.   
“I see that. Are you having fun?”   
“Yeah. I can hold my breath underwater.”   
“What? No, that’s impossible,” Chris feigned disbelief.   
“Let me show you.”   
Kenda chuckled as Chris put Kida back in the pool and watched her successfully paddle around before popping back up from the water with a big, proud smile.   
“Wow, we’ve got a professional swimmer on our hands. Good job, peach.”   
Kenda piped up from her seat. “Did you tell your dad what you wanna do for your birthday?”   
“I’m having a party,” Kida said excitedly.   
“Tell him who you’re dressing up as.”   
“Captain America!”   
Chris laughed as he looked between the both of them. “A Captain America themed party? Whose idea was that?”   
“All hers,” Kenda pointed to a giddy Kida. She walked over to the pool. “We’ve been on a Marvel kick here lately and of course, she really took to the hero that resembles you. I’m honestly not surprised. What better hero to emulate than your own father?”   
Chris smiled impishly. “I’m flattered.”   
“Are you coming to my party, daddy?” Kida asked, her big blueish brown eyes looking expectantly.   
“Of course I am. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”   
Kida did a celebratory flail in the pool and giggled. Kenda grabbed a towel and held it up.   
“Alright, come on little lady. Let’s get you cleaned and changed so you can go to your dad’s.”   
~~~  
  
There were numerous kids dressed up in different variations of Captain America costumes as they ran around the yard engaging in play fights and their parents watched. Kenda laughed and talked with some of the other moms, Monika among them with her growing bump under her dress. Chris arrived with bags filling both arms and Jenny trailed behind him with a couple boxes.   
“Sorry I’m late. I had to track down one of her gifts last minute.”   
“You’re fine. You haven’t missed anything really. Food is done and drinks are out here. Oh, and she’s been pretty excited for you to see her costume.”   
“I’m sure. I’ll go find her.”   
Kenda took the bags and put them on the table already filled with assorted bags and packages. Jenny placed her boxes on the table as well.   
“I hope you don’t mind me coming along.”   
“Of course not. You’re more than welcome here. I think Kida would’ve been disappointed if you hadn’t come. She talks about you a lot when she’s not with you guys.”   
“Really? That surprises me. Whenever she’s with us, she constantly talks about you. I know she got a lot of her personality from Chris but I notice plenty of her traits from you as well. Singing being one of them. I think we’ve watched Moana about fifteen times.”   
“Oh yeah, sorry. This is a musical household. We sing entirely too much.”   
Jenny chuckled. “I love it. She’s a perfect little girl. You two are doing an amazing job with her.”   
Smiling, Kenda met Jenny’s eyes. “That means a lot. Thanks. And I know we don’t talk often but I wanna say I appreciate how well you’ve been treating her. I know dating someone with kids isn’t easy but I’m glad Chris chose someone as nice as you.”   
Jenny blushed and nodded. “Thank you.”   
They looked out into the yard to see Chris playfully miming being hurt by all the little Caps and snickered.   
Kenda figured she made the right call on having Kida open presents before she brought out the cake and ice cream because as expected, the kids were completely riled up with the sweets in their system. Unsurprisingly, some of the kids and their mothers flocked to Chris. The kids wanted to know what it was like to be a superhero while the mothers made thinly veiled attempts at trying not to flirt too openly in front of their partners. Kenda couldn’t help but shake her head and chuckle even though she understood what all the fuss was about.   
By early evening, the party was winding down and the kids had just about burned out all their energy, some of them opting to just sit around and play simple hand games. All of the parents wound up their respective children and bid Kida a final happy birthday before leaving. Chris helped Kenda clean and bring all of the presents inside while Jenny played with Kida in the backyard.   
“That turned out way better than I planned it,” Kenda said. She wrapped up the leftover desserts and put them in the fridge.   
Chris tied off a trash bag full of wrapping paper and discarded plastic and set it by the trash. “Yeah. Not a bad job, momma.”   
Kenda giggled. “Did you get any numbers from the hot mom’s club out there?”   
“Ha ha. I did think a few of them were close to just ripping their panties off and throwing them at me. It was a lot.”   
“Well not only are you famous but you’re also a father. A great one at that. Tons of sex appeal. Why wouldn’t they all be hot and bothered?”   
Chris scoffed. “I guess.”   
Their attention was drawn to the backyard as Kida squealed from being lifted up in Jenny’s arms and being spun around. Kenda smiled.   
“They really became fast friends, huh?”   
“Sure did. I’m all but ignored whenever she comes over. She constantly wants to play with her, watch movies, build forts. It’s pretty cute actually.” Chris looked over at Kenda who busied herself washing dishes. “I feel like I should let you know that she knows where she stands with us.”   
Kenda furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”   
“I mean she knows you’re Kida’s mom and she never wants to take your place.”   
“Does she think I see her as trying to take my place?”   
“No, it’s just that with how close they got so fast, I think she wanted that out in the open now for fear of you possibly thinking that in the future.”   
“I’ve never once thought that. We talked a bit earlier and I saw that she’s just a sweet person who just happens to be bonding with her boyfriend’s daughter. I like her, Kida likes her and she’s proven that she’s a genuine person. That’s all I care about. She doesn’t have to worry. Neither do you.”   
Chris grinned and went to stand next to Kenda.   
“You’re the best.”   
“I know,” Kenda smiled proudly.   
They snickered together and Chris nudged her playfully before continuing to help her clean.  
  


  
_ **Spring 2017** _

Kenda heard her phone ring on her bed as she stood in front of her bathroom mirror braiding her hair.   
“Daddy’s calling!” Kida called out.   
“Answer it for me, please.”   
She could hear Chris faintly over the speaker greeting Kida excitedly like he always did. After a few minutes, she skipped into the bathroom with the phone raised.   
“Daddy wants to talk to you.”   
“Thank you, baby,” Kenda said as she took her phone and placed it on a shelf at her eye level, glancing at Chris’ face on the screen. “What’s up?”   
“Nothing much. We’re waiting for the next interview. I have some time on my hands so I thought I would call.”   
Kenda could tell just by his tone that there was something more to the call.  
“Why do I get the feeling this isn’t about casual conversation?”   
“You know me so well.” Chris meant it to come out jokingly but there was a solemn undertone. “Jenny and I decided to take a break.”   
Kenda paused and looked wide eyed at her phone. “Are you serious? Why?”   
“Well,” Chris started with a deep sigh, “she’s going through her divorce right now and having a relationship just wasn’t really lining up for her. She needed some time to properly get through it and she said it wasn’t fair to me if she was only giving half or herself to this relationship.”   
“Wow. Are you okay?”   
Chris shrugged. “I’m fine. I understand why she feels the way she does but... it just sucks is all.”   
“I wouldn’t take it too hard if it’s just a break. She just needs time to be alone and fully process what’s going on. If it’s meant to be with you two, it’ll be.”   
“Yeah, I suppose.” Chris gave an unfocused stare for a few seconds before he drew in a breath and perked up. “Anyway, what are you getting into?”   
“I’m going out for a few drinks. Kida is gonna spend some time with Shae while I’m out.”   
“Hm. A date?” Chris inquired.   
Kenda rolled her eyes. “A _blind_ date. I didn’t wanna say anything.”   
“Why not?”   
“For one because I already didn’t wanna agree to it, I was sort of guilt tripped into it. And two, after what you just told me I thought you wouldn’t like to hear about it.”   
“Come on. You know I support you. Don’t let my personal shit put a damper on things. Who set up this date?”   
“Take a wild guess.”   
Giving a knowing smirk, Chris stated matter of factly, “Shae.”   
Kenda tapped her nose. “Ding ding.”   
“This should be interesting.”   
“Oh yeah. At least if it goes bad, I can drink away the memories while I’m out tomorrow night. Mom is doing a little dinner for me at Bleu’s if you wanna come by.”   
“I’d love to but I have a shoot and a few more interviews I have to get through.”  
“I forget how busy your promo tours are.”  
“Yeah. Luckily I’ll be with McKenna all day. It should be fun. Part of me wishes Kida could come along.”  
“Maybe one day she will.”  
The doorbell rang and Kenda could hear Kida let out an excited “Shae Shae!”  
“And unfortunately that’s my cue to head out. Are you gonna be okay?”  
Chris nodded. “I’ll be fine. Have fun on your date.”  
Kenda made a noise that was a mix between a grumble and a groan. “Yeah, I’ll try.”   
Chris laughed as they said their goodbyes and hung up. 

* * *

  
  


_ **‘Happy birthday gorgeous :) Sorry again that I couldn’t be there.’ ** _

_ **‘Thank you. I wish you could’ve made it but I understand you were busy. Still had fun.’   
  
** _

_ **‘I got you something. I can bring it by tomorrow if you want.’   
  
** _

_ **‘Why not come by tonight? I’m home now just hanging out. Kida is at a slumber party. I’d actually like some company.’ ** _

_ **‘In that case, I’ll be there soon.’ ** _

Kenda slipped on a pair of her moccasins and gathered her phone in hand as well as the small baggy that Shae put in her purse earlier at dinner before going out to the back patio just as the sun finally set behind the coastline. About 45 minutes later, she was in her element. The night was cool with a gentle breeze blowing. The landscape was alive with the glow of city lights and even from the location of Kenda’s house she could still faintly hear the LA traffic. All was quiet and peaceful as Kenda turned up the music on her phone and turned her attention to the joint between her fingers. She took a long puff, held it and let it go with a smile. Pulling her oversized cardigan together, she reclined back in her seat.   
“Knock knock!” Chris called from inside the house.   
“Out back!” Kenda responded between the crack of the back door.   
Chris appeared after a few seconds pulling the door closed behind him. When he stopped next to Kenda’s chair, he laughed heartily.   
“Is that what I think it is?”   
Kenda grinned and raised the joint. “Want some?”   
Chris pulled another chair up next to hers and sat down. “What if a teacher catches us? I don’t wanna get detention.”   
“Don’t be a pussy. Have some fun for once, theatre nerd.”   
He looked away from Kenda with a roll of his eyes and turned up his nose in mock disgust. “I’m a Dare kid. I don’t do drugs.”   
Kenda tossed her head back as she laughed. “Just one hit. Come on, do it. Do it. Do it,” she chanted teasingly.   
Chris took the joint from her fingers. “Alright, fine. Score for peer pressure.” It had been years since he last smoked weed but he was sure he could handle it. After taking a puff, he held it in for just a second before he coughed it out.   
Kenda let out a belly laugh as she watched Chris struggle and try to get his bearings. Once he calmed down, he took another hit, this one more successful.   
“This is good shit,” Chris said in a strained voice as he passed the joint back.   
“Right? Shae hooked me up.”   
“I never thought I’d see you smoke.”   
“After last night, I needed this. A drink alone wasn’t gonna help me unwind.”   
Chris snorted as he asked, “Oh, how’d your date go?”   
“Ugh,” Kenda muttered. “A waste of fucking time. He was kind of a bum. We barely had an intelligent conversation in the hour and a half we were at the restaurant. I’m in my thirties. I’m not trying to bond with another adult over video games and chill, y’know?”   
“I get it.”   
“I think that pretty much cemented my thoughts about dating. I haven’t been into it for the last couple years and probably won’t be any time soon. My focus is only ever on Kida and myself these days and I think I’m fine with that.”  
Chris looked on at Kenda as she spoke. He did notice that after they decided to break up, she never really dated or at least never mentioned going out with anyone.   
“There’s nothing wrong with that. The right person will come along one day. Until then, I think it’s nice that you’re devoting more time to yourself. Sometimes that’s what we need.”   
“Agreed,” Kenda said as she puffed on her joint. “So what did you get me?”   
Chris smiled and took a small box from his pocket. He handed it over and watched her with eagerness in his eyes. Kenda took the box and opened it to reveal a necklace inside with a heart shaped pendant encrusted with peridot and aquamarine gems, hers and Kida’s birthstones. Gasping, Kenda took the necklace out.   
“Oh my God! Chris, this is so pretty. I love it. Thank you.”   
“You’re welcome. I saw the model on display a few months ago and thought it would be a good gift.”   
“It’s perfect.” Kenda smiled brightly, admiring the necklace in the moonlight.   
“Here,” Chris held out his hand. “I’ll put it on for you.”   
Turning in her seat, Kenda gave him the necklace and moved her hair away from her neck. Chris gingerly brought it over her head and clasped it around her neck. He watched Kenda turn back around and look down, fingering the pendant and smiling.   
“This might be the best gift I’ve gotten all day, weed included.”   
Chris grinned. “I’m glad.”   
It got quiet as they stared at each other and they both realized how intimate the moment was becoming. Desperate to fill the silence, Kenda quickly got up.   
“I got a beer pong table. Wanna play?”   
“Hell yeah!” Chris jumped up. “Not to brag or anything but I’m a master at pong.”   
“You’ve never played against me. Prepare to get that ass beat.”   
“Okay, start the shit talking now because you won’t be doing much of it soon.”   
  
  


Two hours flew by without either one of them noticing as they embroiled themselves in a heated tournament in the living room, both trading smart ass comments and jabs after each sunken shot. Chris won a couple games at first giving himself an ego boost and, combined with the beers he was putting away, brought out the shit talking Boston frat boy that he usually became once he started drinking. Kenda eventually started winning however and didn’t hold back a single comment as she jumped happily and taunted him from the other side of the table. They laughed and just enjoyed one another’s company for the first time in a while, acting more like best friends than they had since the beginning of their relationship. It was the most fun either of them had together over something as simple as beer pong.   
It was nearly four in the morning by the time they called it quits with Kenda winning the last game.   
“What was that you said about talking shit before?” Kenda said with an arrogant smirk.   
Chris mocked her in a whiny voice before finishing off his last beer. “That was just luck. I got you next time.”   
“Oh okay, sure.”   
They cleaned up the table and cups along with the empty beer bottles sitting around. Afterward, Kenda plopped down on the couch while Chris got ready to leave.   
“You okay to drive?”   
“I’m good.”   
“Thanks for hanging out with me tonight. I had fun.”   
“Me too,” Chris said. “Happy birthday, Ken.”   
“Thank you, Chris.”   
They shared a look that held something unsaid before Chris left. Kenda smiled to herself as she replayed the last few hours in her head and for the smallest fraction of a second, she missed what was between them. Shaking her head, she pushed off the couch and went to bed.


	21. Chapter 21

_‘I’ve got a tight grip on reality _

_But I can’t let go of what’s in front of me here’_

_ **Winter** _

Kenda made sure Kida was properly packing her bags and tried to get her ready for when Chris came by to pick her up. She was going to spend Christmas in Boston with Chris, his family and Jenny for the first time in a couple years and her excitement was causing her to get easily distracted. At the same time, Kenda packed her own bags to catch a flight to Ohio. Her parents wanted to visit Nana’s grave and then have a holiday dinner at her aunt’s house. It was a busy time and Kenda was mildly stressed out trying to make sure everything was right as the time was winding down.   
“Kida, baby, you got your toothbrush?”   
“Yes,” she called from the bathroom.   
“Toothpaste?”   
“Yes.”   
“Hair kit?” It was silent for a few seconds too long. “Make sure you pack that as well.”   
“Okay.”  
The doorbell rang and Chris’ voice called out a second later.   
“Ken, I’m here!”   
“Give me a sec! Almost done,” Kenda responded.   
She double checked each of her bags to make sure she had everything before closing them up and leaving her room. Stopping at Kida’s door, she glanced in.   
“Come on, bear.”   
Kida zipped her backpack and grabbed her suitcase.   
“I’m coming.”   
“Got everything?”   
“Yes.”   
“Good. Let’s go.”   
They walked to the living room where Chris was waiting. He took Kida’s bags for her, the tiny backpack looking comically small on his broad shoulder.   
“Ready to go, peach?”   
Kida nodded excitedly, bouncing on her toes.   
“Okay, baby. Give me kisses,” Kenda said as she knelt down on one knee. Kida jumped in her arms and hugged her tightly before giving her a kiss. “Be good and have fun, okay? I love you.”   
“Love you, mommy.”   
Standing back up, Kenda looked at Chris.   
“Same goes for you, too. Be good and have fun.”   
“Always,” Chris replied. “Let me know when you land safely.”   
Kenda nodded and walked them outside. She waved to Jenny in the front seat and watched them drive off just as her parents showed up.   
  
~~~

The plane landed just as a new round of fresh snow started sticking to the ground. Kenda and her parents picked up their rental car and made their way to their hotel, checked in and got situated and then headed over to her aunt’s house where Christmas Eve dinner was being hosted. By the time they arrived, half the family had already shown up and were packed inside. After greeting everyone, Kenda immediately found Shae and Eva helping decorate the Christmas tree. It was the first holiday where Shae was welcomed back into the family although her parents still refused to talk to her or show up to any place where she was present. With Eva there, she was more at ease than ever and was beginning to be comfortable around the family again.   
Kenda helped out where she could with dinner and soon, everyone was sitting down to eat. There was laughter and conversation amongst everyone as they talked and caught each other up on what was going on in their lives.   
“So Kenda, how’s little Kida doing? I was expecting to see her this year,” her aunt Renee asked.   
“She’s great. And it’s her year to be with Chris for the holiday so they’re in Boston now.”   
“That’s nice. And how is Chris? I miss that young man. He was always so sweet.”   
“He’s doing really good.”   
“When are you gonna tie his ass down?” Aunt Carol cut in bluntly.   
Kenda paused mid bite and chuckled, her face feeling warm with all eyes now on her. “Auntie, Chris and I aren’t together and we don’t plan on getting together. He’s in a relationship that he’s happy in and I’m happy for him. We’ve moved on.”   
Aunt Carol smacked her lips. “Mm. Well, if you ask me, you two need to be together. Y’all got that beautiful daughter together. He still visits the family. Not all exes are like that, baby. You had a special one in that young man.”   
Kenda tried to shrink herself in her seat. Other than her own parents and sometimes Shae, nobody else in Kenda’s family had voiced that they thought she should be with Chris until now. Even a few of the relatives who didn’t care for Kenda seeing him at first slowly came around to him, especially after Kida was born.   
“Not everyone belongs together even if they do get along,” Melissa said from the other end of the table. “Plus, he has too much baggage anyway.”   
Kenda raised an eyebrow as she looked at Melissa. “What does that mean?”   
“I mean he’s from Hollywood. He’s used to a certain lifestyle. Always has attention on him no matter what. I mean look what happened when those pictures of you two got out. It clearly wasn’t meant to last.”   
“Missy, you hush,” Aunt Renee said, dismissively waving the statement away. “You don’t know what went on between them and you shouldn’t judge him because of his career.”  
Kenda wanted to add to the conversation but bit her tongue and instead aimed to change the subject. Luckily, Adina noticed her daughter’s discomfort and redirected the topic to what everyone was planning for New Years. Relief washed over Kenda as she looked at her mother as if saying thank you. Adina winked before shifting her attention to everyone else. 

  
  
After dinner, the kids played in the basement while some of the men of the family stretched out in the living room in front of an old football game, a few of them sleeping off the holiday meal. Adina helped her sisters do the dishes while Kenda sat and drank a glass of wine. She and Eva were talking about music while Shae listened quietly, her head resting on Eva’s shoulder as they stood across the the counter. From outside the kitchen, Kenda could hear Melissa talking and her ears automatically tuned in.   
“I mean she acted so brand new the first time she brought him over. And honestly, she _still_ acts brand new. Like we get it, you got you a white man and you got your pretty little mixed baby but you’re not special. And who did he go back to in the end after they broke up? A white woman and an actress no less. Please, Kenda stays trying to act like she ain’t black and it didn’t work for her. That white boy was a whole waste of time. I don’t know why everyone keeps checking for him.”   
Kenda set her glass down as she got up and stepped around the corner with her arms crossed, looking at Melissa like she had lost her mind. Melissa stood talking to one of their cousins and when she turned to see Kenda behind her, her demeanor changed slightly like she didn’t expect to get caught.  
“What is your problem?” Kenda asked, annoyance in her tone.  
Melissa screwed up her face. “What do you mean what’s my problem?”   
“I let some shit slide for years with you, Missy. With this whole fucking family in fact. You don’t have to like Chris. Whether it’s because he’s white or he’s famous or what the fuck ever, you don’t have to like him. That’s fine. But what I _refuse_ to put up with any longer is your little backhanded comments and the all around shit you talk about the father of my child! I’m not gonna sit here and let you talk about mine and Chris’ relationship when you can barely keep your fucking marriage together.”   
“Woah, hold on—,” Melissa started, straightening up.   
“No, shut the fuck up, Missy!” Kenda cut in. The others fell silent around them and some of them gathered in the hall. “I’m not hearing it anymore. Deal with your own shit and keep your comments about me and mine out your mouth. We may be blood but I have no problem cutting family out of my life and I sure as fuck don’t have a problem slapping the shit out of family either. From now on, if you have any more problems with me and the white men in my life, talk to me like a fucking adult. Otherwise, don’t say shit.”   
Melissa shifted her weight awkwardly as she looked on at Kenda with a mix of anger and embarrassment before storming off. Kenda sighed deeply trying to calm herself down and glanced around. By then, all of the men had gathered from the living room to the hallway to watch the confrontation as well as Adina and her sisters from the kitchen.  
“Okay, it’s over,” Sterling said. “Let’s all sit down and chill out.”  
Everyone dispersed and Kenda went back to the kitchen where Shae was in the corner with Eva trying to hold back laughter, her tongue between her teeth as she bounced on her toes.   
“Bitch!” she whispered loudly. Running over to Kenda, she dragged her to the corner. “You chewed Missy’s ass the fuck out! I’m too done.”   
“Yeah, so was I. I’m done with people in this family not being accepting. This shit is old and I’m not gonna be ashamed or embarrassed or told I’m wrong for the choices I make in my life.”   
Eva smiled and looked to Shae who gave an understanding nod.   
“Okay. I see you in your big girl britches.”   
Kenda cracked a smile that turned into a small laugh.   
“I can’t stand you.”   
  


* * *

  
  


_ **2018** _

Chris pushed his hair out of his face as he puffed on a cigarette and watched Dodger in the backyard, his mind was focused on other things. Christmas in Boston was great and he thoroughly enjoyed his time there until New Year’s Eve. The night brought some fun and the alcohol only amplified it. Unfortunately, Chris let the number of beers he had get away from him and when he woke up the next day he couldn’t recall some of what took place. What was evident however was that Jenny seemed upset with something he said the night before. When he asked, she brushed it off under the guise that it wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t until a couple days later that she mentioned how Chris had accidentally dropped Kenda’s name in bed and how it made her uncomfortable.   
After they talked, all was fine until the following month. Chris couldn’t help but start thinking about Kenda more and more. They spoke daily and whenever Jenny was busy, he found himself hanging out at her house for the day with Dodger. With him spending more time there, eventually they both took notice. Even so, Chris didn’t expect for Jenny to sit him down and say without hesitation, “I think you still have feelings for Kenda.”   
He felt blindsided by the statement and was struck silent.   
“I’m not upset. I know how deep your history goes and it’s not like I never noticed how close you two remained. But I think it’s only fair that I know now if we’re okay because I love you and I don’t want to get hurt.”   
Chris racked his brain. With the words spoken out loud, he stopped to think about it for once. Admittedly, he did feel rushes of old feelings whenever he was around Kenda but he never thought about her romantically. At least not until New Year’s but that was a one time, drunken thing or so he thought. Now, he was genuinely questioning his feelings for not just Jenny but Kenda as well. It seemed like some sort of twisted joke from the universe; He and Jenny worked out their relationship the previous summer as her divorce finalized and they were doing just fine. He was in love and happy. But perhaps on some level, it made sense that with all the time he spent around Kenda that old feelings would re-emerge. It made everything far too complicated for his liking.   
Chris put his cigarette out and called Dodger inside as Jenny came back home carrying groceries.   
“Hey,” he said blankly and offered a half hearted kiss.   
Jenny smiled and returned his kiss before going into what sounded good for dinner. When Chris didn’t offer his thoughts, she paused and finally noticed the look on his face.   
“Honey? What’s the matter?”   
Chris looked at her, his pulse quickening.   
“I think we should talk.”   
  



	22. Chapter 22

_‘See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me _

_And no one knows how far it goes’ _

Kenda sang along with Kida as they watched Moana for probably the hundredth time. Kida loved to act out the movie as well as sing every song as animated as possible as jumped from the furniture and danced across the living room.   
“Sing it, baby girl! Sing it!” Kenda said happily, her heart fluttering for the millionth time.   
Her attention got pulled to her phone as it buzzed on the couch beside her. Chris’ name popped up over a picture of him snuggled up with Kida in bed. Smiling, Kenda answered.   
“Your daughter is putting on her weekly show for me.”   
“I can hear her through the phone. I’m sure I’ll get an encore during her next visit. Speaking of, you think you’d wanna come over for a bit? Kind of, uh, need a... friend to talk to.”   
“Sure. You okay?”   
Chris sighed deeply over the phone and that was answer enough for Kenda but he still replied, “I will be.”   
“We’ll be there soon.”   
“Okay. I’ll save a beer for you.”   
“Appreciate it.”   
They both hung up and Kenda looked down at her phone for a few seconds. She knew Chris we’ll enough to know that when he was down and in need of a talk from her, something was really wrong. No time was wasted as she changed out of her sweats and had Kida put on her shoes before they were out the door.   
  
  


Dodger perked up and began barking at the sight of Kenda pulling into the driveway. When they entered, Kida immediately went to him for pets.   
“Hey Dodger boy!” Kenda greeted him. She scratched his head and ears before going off to find Chris. He was in his office sitting on a sofa with one leg kicked up.   
“Okay, what’s up? Whose ass do I need to kick?” Kenda asked in an effort to lighten the mood.   
Chris grinned. “Nobody. It’s nothing like that.”   
Sitting in the empty spot next to him, Kenda slipped off her Toms and pulled her feet under her.   
“Talk to me.”   
A knot formed in Chris’ throat as he looked at her and then at his empty beer bottle. He gave up on good ways to start this conversation hours ago, opting instead to just be frank.   
“Uh... Jen and I broke up. For good.”   
“Huh? I thought you guys were good.”   
“So did I. Turns out she wasn’t the only one who needed to work through some things.”   
Kenda tilted her head, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “What do you mean?”   
Chris fidgeted with the bottle in his hand as he worked up the courage to keep speaking. He could feel his palms beading with sweat. Clearing his throat, he forced himself to make eye contact with Kenda.   
“I think... fuck, I think I have feelings for you again. If they ever even went away before.”   
Kenda made an unintelligible noise as she stared back at Chris and nodded slowly.   
“Why? Or how? Or,” she stopped and took a breath. Trying again, she asked, “are you sure?”   
“I haven’t thought of you as more than a friend in a long time now but I suppose with all the time we started spending together, some old feelings came back. I never really thought anything about it until New Year’s.”   
“Why then?”   
Chris felt his cheeks heat as anxiety riddled his body. “Well, this might be too much information for you but that night, after we left my mother’s, Jenny and I were fooling around and I accidentally said your name.”   
Kenda’s eyes widened. Sitting back against the sofa, she breathed out deep sigh. “Shit. Yeah, you fucked up.”   
Chuckling humorlessly, Chris nodded. He raked his hand through his hair.   
“I was so drunk that night I didn’t even remember it until she told me later on. We were fine for a bit after that but the more I started spending time with you, the more obvious it started becoming I guess.”   
“So, what, does she think I ruined your relationship?”   
“God no, Ken. Nothing like that. We sat and talked about this for hours. As much as it hurt her, she understands. And on some level, with us having a kid and being as close as we are, I don’t really think she was too surprised by it. In the end, it was an amicable split. No hard feelings or bitterness.”   
The room was uncomfortably quiet for a few minutes. They could both hear Kida playing with Dodger outside.   
“Since you ended things with Jenny, does that mean you wanted to pursue something with me?”   
“I don’t know. I mean on one hand, I enjoy the relationship we have now. It took a while for us to finally get to this place and I don’t wanna see it crumble now. But with these feelings coming back and us always talking and being there for each other... fuck. I don’t know what I wanna do!”   
Kenda could see Chris struggling externally and internally. She felt bad for him. There was always love between them and they knew it would never go away but now feelings were back in the mix after they both worked hard to move on. With Chris confessing all of this, it forced Kenda to not only take it into consideration but also reevaluate their relationship.   
“I don’t know anyone else who has had half the fucking issues we’ve had these last six years.”   
Chris let out a genuine laugh for the first time.   
“No kidding.”   
“You think the universe secretly hates us or something?”   
“I don’t think the universe would go through this much trouble for two people.”   
Kenda shook her head. “So what do we do now?”   
Chris sat up and looked over at her, his blue eyes sincere and carrying relief.   
“I don’t wanna do anything you’re not comfortable with. I’d like us to still hang out and talk but if that’s too much, just tell me.”   
“The last thing I want is for this to be weird. You’re my best friend. Do you think you’ll be okay with us remaining copacetic?”   
“Yeah. I’ll work through this. Everything will be fine.”   
Kenda smiled. “Give me a hug.”   
They embraced and Chris felt better but at the same time nervous for what would come next for them.   


* * *

  
Over the next few weeks, Chris tried to make sure that when he did decide to come over Kenda’s that Kida was also there. At least when he was spending time with his daughter as well, there was less tension buildup. However, he was starting to take notice of things he never paid attention to before. Like the fact that Kenda was wearing more form fitting clothes and showing a touch more skin to reveal new tattoos she'd gotten. Her once long hair that looked like a mane around her face had gotten cut shorter and now popped with purple highlights. Chris didn’t think it was possible for her to look more beautiful than she already did but somehow she looked better with each visit. He also couldn’t help but notice that her ass and breasts popped out way more as well. He couldn’t tell if his mind was fucking with him because of his feelings or if everything was deliberate. Either way, he kept his thoughts under control and refused to let them wander in Kenda’s presence. He was thankful for the distractions of his agent calling him for meetings to discuss his upcoming shooting schedule.   
  


Kenda kicked her feet up and went to take a sip of her wine as her phone buzzed a text from Chris.   
**_‘Hey. You busy today?’_**   
**_‘If you count busy as binge watching Game of Thrones and getting wine drunk then yes, I’m very busy :).’_**   
**_‘Sounds like a good time. Want some company? I’d like to get out of the house for a few hours.’_**   
**_‘You’re more than welcome to join me. You can watch me scream at the tv.’_**   
**_‘Always entertaining. See you soon.’_**   
  


By the time Chris arrived, Kenda was starting her second glass of wine and was enthralled with everything happening on her screen.   
“Hey,” Chris greeted as he stepped inside.   
“Hey,” Kenda responded, her eyes glued to the tv.   
Chris followed her intense stare to the screen. He didn’t know what was going on but seeing someone get beheaded immediately made him look away. He chuckled at Kenda as he sat down.   
“You’re really into this, huh?”   
“You don’t even know. I live for fictional drama and this show delivers.”   
They talked between episodes and shared some playful banter as well as some flirty comments here and there. Two hours later, Kenda was explaining everything to him while trying to pay attention to the show. Despite himself, Chris slowly got invested in the show too.  
“Wait, who is she again?” he asked.  
Kenda sighed. “That’s Cersei. She’s the Head Bitch In Charge and we hate her. But she is a badass though.”   
“And... she fucked her brother?”   
“Yes. And her cousin. But she’s in love with her brother.”   
“Jesus Christ, what the hell is this show?”   
Kenda laughed. “Trust me, even with all this horrendous shit going on you still get invested. Everyone loves family drama.”   
“And incest apparently.”   
“That too.”   
By the time the season finale ended, Kenda turned off the tv and tossed back the rest of her wine.  
“Lord, I need a break. That was a lot.”   
“I didn’t think you’d actually stop watching.”   
“Normally I wouldn’t but after all _that_, I need to rest.” Chris chuckled and pushed his hair off his face. “You look really good with your hair grown out like that by the way.”   
“Yeah?”   
“Oh yeah. Makes you look more grown. All rugged and dominant and rough and shit,” Kenda teased. “I’ve never seen this look before.”   
“There’s a reason. I hate growing my hair out. If it weren’t for this new role, I’d buzz it all off.”   
“Not if I have anything to say about it. Long hair and full beard stays.”   
“So you’re making the rules now?”   
“You didn’t know?”   
“Must’ve missed that memo.”   
Kenda stood and grabbed her empty glass to take it to the kitchen. Chris caught a glimpse of her ass in the small pajama shorts she wore and mentally chastised himself as he felt a rush of blood go to his dick.   
“Are you gonna head home?” Kenda asked as she appeared back in the living room.   
Chris didn’t answer right away as he was trying to will his growing hard on to go down. It was too late however; His brain shut off and his other head was taking control. He might live to regret this the next day but right now, he didn’t give two shits. Standing from the couch, he walked over to where Kenda stood and slowly snaked his hand around the back of her neck, the look on his face taking an almost eerie turn as his eyes darkened. Kenda felt her heart start to race with every inch Chris closed between them until her back was flush against the wall and he trapped her there, his hands forming a barricade.   
“What is this?” Kenda asked, her voice small.   
Chris tilted his head forward, his face mere inches from hers. “You did say I looked more dominant, right? More rough? Maybe I wanna see something. Am I making you uncomfortable?”   
Kenda swallowed thickly and it still felt like her throat was bone dry. Her skin was getting warm and her stomach was doing flips.   
“I’m not uncomfortable. Just... whatever you’re trying to do, I don’t think you should.”   
“Why is that? I’m single, you’re single. We’re both adults. And you’re gonna tell me you weren’t just flirting with me a little bit ago?” A ghost of a smile crept over his face.   
“We’ve flirted countless times over the last few years.”   
“Not like tonight. You can blame the alcohol but I know that look in your eyes from a mile away. Tell me I’m wrong.”   
Kenda attempted to take a deep breath to gain some sense of control over her thoughts. The smell of Chris’ cologne however clouded them further. He wasn’t lying. The look he was sporting currently had her imagining all the wrong things. She didn’t think either one of them was ballsy enough to act on their desires though.  
“I don’t think we should do this,” she repeated in a less convincing tone.   
Trying to form a coherent argument was futile with Chris so close to her, his cool breath on her face and his long hair falling over his eyes. He never looked more beautiful and somehow dangerous than he did this very instant. In her haze, Kenda began to think if it would really be so bad to give in to him just this once.   
“Give me one good reason why,” Chris whispered near her ear, his lips and thick beard gently grazing it.   
“I... we...,” she managed only to stop short. Words failed her and finally she gave in. “I can’t.”   
“I thought so. Now, why don’t you be a good girl for me and raise your arms.”   
Kenda felt a chill run through her body as she slowly raised her arms.   
“What are you gonna do?”   
“You gave me an idea. Just trust me.” Chris moved one of his hands to gather both of Kenda’s in his own. With the other, he trailed it up from her navel to her lips. He gently tugged her bottom lip between his thumb and index finger and felt all the blood rush to his dick as he caught the innocent glimmer in Kenda’s wide eyes. “Spread your legs.”   
Anticipation flooded her nerves and she could feel herself immediately getting wet as she obliged, her legs opening. Chris followed his earlier trail from her lips down to the waistband of her shorts and further still, his fingertips breaching past to the cotton panties covering her mound. He let the tip of his middle finger trail across her lips before grazing over the growing wet spot between them. He smiled wickedly and closed the distance between himself and Kenda. Their lips met in a slow, passionate kiss, their tongues teasing and exploring each other’s mouths. Kenda let a moan escape and Chris hadn’t even touched her yet.   
“Please,” she whispered against Chris’ lips.   
“Please what?”   
“Please let me feel your fingers.”   
Chris felt a growing sense of pride seeing how breathless Kenda was becoming with this previously unseen side of him making an appearance. He pulled her panties to the side and let his fingers sink into her wetness, the pad of his middle finger rubbing over clit. It had been so long since anyone else had touched her that she felt starved for it and she was thankful it was coming from Chris.   
“I forgot how wet you get for me. Barely touched you and your pussy is already soaking. Can’t wait to taste it,” he spoke gruffly in her ear.   
“Fuck,” Kenda breathed. “I miss your fingers.”   
Chris rested his head at the crook of her neck and started sucking a bruise into her skin as his fingers massaged her inner walls. Kenda’s back arched off the wall with every jolt shooting through her center and every time she tried to move her hands, she forgot Chris had them pinned above her in a tight hold. He left her no choice but to feel every sensation and curve of his digits as they thrusted inside her.   
“You wanna come don’t you, baby doll?” Kenda nodded her head enthusiastically, the knot in her belly tightening. “Use your words.”   
“I wanna come. Please make me come all over your fingers.”   
Chris curled his fingers against that familiar spot and watched Kenda start to crumble, her teeth latched painfully onto her lips as she fought to suppress her moans. He felt her squeezing his fingers and knew it wouldn’t take much more. One more skilled twist of his finger and Kenda was writhing against the wall quietly as her body shook from the waves of her orgasm.   
“That’s a good girl,” Chris cooed sweetly.   
As Kenda tried to catch her breath, Chris took his hand from her shorts and raised it to trace his fingers over her lips. Her tongue instinctually flicked out to taste her arousal.   
“Thank you.”   
“I hope you don’t think I’m done with you yet.”   
The devilish look on his face renewed the flood in Kenda’s panties as she was led to her room. 

~~~ 

Chris unceremoniously tossed his shirt off before forcing Kenda’s shorts down along with her panties and pushed her onto the bed.   
“Face down and raise that pretty ass for me.”   
Kenda trembled as she pulled her knees up under her and arched her back to make her ass pop. She braced herself for whatever he had planned and was surprised to feel Chris caressing her ass softly, one cheek and then the next. In an instant, his hand was gone and landing on her right side with a loud smack. A gasp escaped her but she smiled at the pleasant burn left behind from his hand. The second smack landed on her left side next before his hands rubbed over the spots soothingly. Before she knew it, Chris was spreading her thighs and warm spit hit her pussy before his mouth devoured her. His tongue lapped at her sex and he didn’t care how messy he got. The moans he drew from her only made him get messier with it as he alternated between teasing her clit and dipping his tongue between her folds.   
Kenda hadn’t felt this good in a long time. Not even her toys made her feel the level of relief Chris was offering right now. He knew exactly what to do and how to do it, how to make her toes curl, how to make her speechless. No matter what, those were the things she missed most about him.   
“God, you taste so fucking good,” Chris moaned.   
As much as Kenda loved being eaten out, she was desperate to feel him inside her. She reached behind her and pulled him by his hair until he raised up.   
“Fuck me, please. I need to feel you,” she begged.   
Chris’ beard glistened from her arousal and only made him look more sexy and animalistic combined with the dark look in his eyes. The smile that he gave her was enough to make her come right then. He forced his pants and boxers down making his cock spring free and Kenda felt herself salivate at the sight. Bracing a foot on the bed, Chris grabbed her hips roughly and situated her in front of him, his hand lining his cock up with her entrance. He slowly pushed inside her eliciting deep sighs from both of them. After all the times Kenda felt him, it was still a surprise how thick he was and how great it felt being stretched by him. It almost felt like to much after so long and she reached behind her trying to brace her hand against his stomach.   
“Oh no, baby doll. Take it all like a good girl,” Chris said as he took both her hands and crossed them at her lower back.   
He buried himself to the hilt inside her and marveled at how tight she felt around him. In an instant, he was moving. He didn’t bother to build up to an even pace or go easy on Kenda. He fucked her like he had something to prove. Kenda cried out into the room and begged Chris for more even as he hit her deepest spot over and over.   
“So fucking good, Chris. Fuck!”   
“You like it rough, baby?”   
“Yes! That big dick is so fucking deep.”   
“Whose pussy is this?”   
“It’s yours, daddy. It’s all yours. Take it.”   
Chris pounded into Kenda mercilessly and elicited sounds from her that he’d never heard before. Forcing her further down into the mattress, he made sure to make his strokes as hard and as deep as he could and it paid off when he felt her clench around him. With a guttural yell, Kenda came painfully hard and felt herself squirt all over Chris’ cock.   
“Good fucking girl, baby doll,” Chris said between clenched teeth as he came. “Fuck!”   
He completely emptied inside Kenda and pulled out to watch it drip down her pussy. Smiling, he grabbed his phone.   
“Got enough energy to spread your legs for me?”   
Kenda groaned but obeyed. She heard the shutter sound of his camera behind her.   
“Pervert.”   
There was a low chuckle before Chris climbed onto the bed and pulled Kenda next to him. They said nothing as they shared sated and blissful smiles.


	23. Chapter 23

The morning sun rays beamed in through the gossamer curtains over the windows and landed right on Kenda’s face waking her up, her eyes squinting open. She stretched and let out a tired groan as she felt her muscles aching from the night before. The reminder and the visuals etched in her mind made her smile as she rolled over. To her surprise, Chris was still lying next to her sleeping soundly with an arm resting under his head. The innocence on his face in the embrace of slumber never failed to pull on her heartstrings. She nuzzled her nose against his, her curls falling forward and tickling his face. Chris stirred with a soft groan and opened one eye to see what woke him. Even in his sleep blurred vision he saw how radiant Kenda looked; Her sleep mussed hair fluffed out and framing her face made her look like a vixen when the smile on her face and the soft glow of her eyes made her look like the sweetheart she was. _His sweetheart_. A lazy smile spread across his face as he opened his other eye and adjusted his position, sitting up against the headboard.  
“Good morning.”   
“Good morning to you. Sleep well?”   
“Mmhmm. Haven’t tired myself out like that in years.”   
“Well you were putting in work. I’m feeling it now. My back is so stiff.”   
“You’re welcome,” Chris smiled proudly.   
Kenda rolled her eyes but giggled at the comment. Chris found himself raising his hand and gently resting it on her cheek, his thumb grazing over her plump lips. Leaning into him, Kenda softly kissed the pad of his thumb as her eyes fluttered closed. Chris pulled her close and kissed her, his hands winding into her hair as Kenda climbed on top of him. As their kiss deepened, the doorbell rang. They both let out the same annoyed sound.   
“Ignore it,” Kenda said. The doorbell kept ringing as they continued on. After a minute, Kenda’s phone started ringing.   
Snatching it off the nightstand, she saw her mother’s picture.   
“Shit! I forgot my mom was dropping Kida off early today.”   
In a flash, Kenda jumped out of bed and ran for her robe on the back of the door as Chris sat up.   
“Wait, she’s here now?”   
“She’s here right _now_,” Kenda confirmed as she cinched her robe closed and hurried out of the room. “Coming!” she called towards the front door.   
She opened it to see Adina looking somewhat annoyed. Adina opened her mouth to speak before a knowing smile crept over her features as she scanned her daughter’s disheveled state.   
“Morning,” she said, ushering Kida inside and walking in behind her.   
“Hey mom. Sorry, I forgot you said you were dropping her off early.”   
“I see.”   
Kenda noticed the unnecessarily long eye contact Adina was giving her and started to feel scrutinized.   
“Mommy, is daddy here? His car is outside,” Kida said.   
Kenda mentally cursed herself as she opened her mouth to try to formulate some sort of lie.   
“Hey Adina,” Chris’ voice came from behind her. He was fully dressed in the previous nights clothes and looked as if he hadn’t spent the night there bending Kenda into a pretzel.   
“Daddy!” Kida ran and jumped into his arms.   
“Hi Peach.” He gave Kida a kiss on the forehead.  
Adina looked between Kenda and Chris, her smile growing.   
“Chris, honey, how are you?”   
“Great. And you?”   
“Can’t complain.”   
Kenda averted her eyes when her mom glanced at her yet again with an arched brow. She felt like she had words etched across her forehead in big, bold print— **Just Fucked**.   
“Let me walk you out, mom.”   
They walked to the door and Adina stepped outside, spinning on her heel to give her daughter one last look.   
“So, did you have a good night?”   
Kenda hugged her arms around herself. Even in her robe, she felt exposed and the shit eating grin plastered on her mother’s face didn’t help matters.   
“It was alright,” she shrugged nonchalantly.   
“Uh huh,” Adina responded. She leaned in close to her daughter and, in a low voice, said, “If you go out today, make sure you put some makeup on your neck. And next time, tell Chris to leave his hickeys a little lower.”   
Eyes wide, Kenda watched her mom saunter off before checking her reflection in her phone. Sure enough, there was a dark circle on her neck from where Chris had given her a hickey last night.   
“Motherfucker,” she muttered.   
Pulling the collar of her robe up, she went back inside and fought the urge to stomp over to Chris and smack him. He and Kida talked to one another, her hands buried in his thick mane of hair.  
“Mommy! Can daddy come with us to the zoo?” she asked with an anticipatory smile.   
Kenda was taken aback by the question, her mind still on hiding her neck. She looked to Chris who gave her a goofy smile.   
“She invited me. I told her to run it by you first.”   
Unable to deny her daughter with eyes like her dad’s, she conceded. “Sure, bear.”   
“Yay!” Kida exclaimed. “I’ll go get ready.”   
Chris put her down and they watched her skip out of the living room. Once she was out of earshot, Kenda sighed as Chris chuckled.   
“Well I guess we couldn’t have been any more obvious to my mom if we literally walked out here naked.”   
“We weren’t _that_ obvious.”   
“Oh really?” Kenda pulled the collar of her robe down to flash her hickey. “You just had to leave that on my neck of all places?”   
Chris’ face turned red but he still chuckled. “Oops?”   
Kenda punched his arm. “I can’t stand you.”   
“I’m sorry. Heat of the moment.” Chris inched closer to her and ran his thumb over the bruise. “I think it looks nice. A little reminder.”   
Kenda shifted her weight as she nudged his hand away. “You could’ve left that reminder somewhere that’s not my neck. And don’t touch me like that.”   
“Like this?” Chris ran his thumb over the spot again with a mischievous smile.   
Kenda squirmed and bit her lip at the action before she slapped his hand away.   
“Yes, like that! Stop it!” she whisper yelled.   
Chris raised his hands in surrender but didn’t move away from her.   
“Are you really okay with me coming along with you two?”   
“Yeah. It’ll be nice to have you there. She rarely gets to do anything with just the both of us. We can make it a nice little family day.” Kenda checked to make sure they were still alone before she wrapped her arms around Chris’ neck. “Maybe we can do something later. Just the two of us?”   
Chris snaked his hands around Kenda’s waist and grabbed her ass through her robe. “Like what?”   
“I can think of a few things,” she flashed a salacious grin.   
  


~~~

Chris pulled the bill of his Boston cap down over his brow and adjusted his sunglasses as he watched Kenda and Kida stand in front of the tiger exhibit. Kenda knelt down next to Kida and listened to her excitement over the big cats as they splashed around in their makeshift pool. Chris smiled at the sight. It felt nice to have some time with the both of them for the first time in a while. After the night he shared with Kenda, they were being as affectionate as they could be without drawing attention to themselves. Chris found it hard not to let his arm wrap around her or to hold her hand but he refrained. It was enough just to have her in close proximity. Seeing how much she glowed after what transpired and the fact that she wasn’t reacting negatively gave him the slightest bit of hope.   
They made their way through the zoo watching Kida point animatedly at each animal and gaze with curiosity into the exhibits. They snapped pictures and went to the gift shop where Kida was adamant about getting a stuffed manatee. Kenda eyed a big stuffed leopard in the corner of the store and Chris took notice.

"You want it?"

Kenda scoffed. "What do I look like being a grown woman with a stuffed animal? No."

He could tell by the way she kept stealing glances at it that she did want it despite her dismissive tone. Chris shook his head as he grabbed the animal from the shelf and placed it on the counter.

"I'll take both the manatee and the leopard, please," he said to the employee at the register.

Flashing a look in Kenda's direction, she rolled her eyes but tried to hide the budding smile threatening to curl her lips. After paying, Chris handed her the leopard.

"Thanks I guess," Kenda feigned annoyance as she hugged the stuffed animal to her chest.

"You're ridiculous," Chris laughed.

By the afternoon, they left the zoo and were on the way to grab lunch. During the drive, the 90's playlist blaring through the speakers had Kida dancing in her seat as she watched her parents up front singing to each other. Kenda was slightly taken back when Chris rapped the entirety of 'Juicy' to her without fail and felt the slightest bit turned on by it. They stopped at a local pizza shop and enjoyed a full meal as they sat around the table reminiscing over their zoo trip before the conversation shifted to Kida. Chris was never not entertained by his daughter's personality and outgoing behavior. She reminded him so much of himself at her age and it tickled him to hear her silly little jokes or her fast talking as she retold stories about school as she sat at the table, her chubby cheeks messy with pizza sauce. 

It was the perfect day for everyone and neither Kenda or Chris wanted it to end. When they all returned back to Kenda's, she promised to be at Chris' place later with a surprise he was sure to like. They tried not let their parting hug linger too long before Chris left. A huge smile stayed stuck on her face as she went inside and it took Kida calling from the living room to bring her out of her reverie. She sat in front of the tv with her coloring book in her lap as Moana started up. 

"Mommy, do you and daddy still love each other?" 

The question came so suddenly it took Kenda by surprise as she glanced at her daughter's face. "What makes you ask that, bear?"

"Cause you and daddy always talk to each other and give each other hugs. Daddy says you and him are friends though." 

"Yeah we are friends. You can love your friends though. I'll always love your dad because without him, you wouldn't be here. There's a difference between loving somebody and being in love with somebody." 

"Oh," Kida said, her face falling to a frown as if she was processing her mom's response. "Are you in love with daddy? I think you are." 

Kenda opened her mouth to answer no because it felt automatic to say after so long. Something stopped her though, a voice in her head telling her to think it over. _Really_ think about it. She knew the night before was no reason to jump to conclusions about anything but of course it raised questions that would need answers eventually. Part of her wanted to ignore those questions however in favor of having a bit of fun just exploring this new yet odd territory they were in. Chris confessed his feelings for her not long before they slept together so it was more than clear how he felt about her. It didn't occur to her to asses her own feelings until her daughter of all people decided to ask. She didn't want sex to cloud her actual feelings but deep down, she knew that pull for him was still there and probably always would be. She looked up to see Kida tilting her head inquisitively waiting for her response. 

"You know what? Maybe I do. When you get older, I'll explain why your dad and my relationship have been a little complicated over the years but...I think I am in love with him, bear." It was a sincere answer, as sincere as she could make it. 

Kida nodded, seemingly content with that response, and went back to her book with a small smile as her feet kicked freely. Kenda felt a small flutter in her chest. Her own smile found her as she sighed and took a seat next to Kida and colored the page opposite hers. 

* * *

A rhythmic knock at the front door made Chris jog to answer it. On the other side, Kenda stood in a flowing sundress with her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. 

"I was wondering if you were actually gonna show up," Chris said as he gave her a once over. 

"I'm a woman of my word. Plus mom was running late so I had to stay a little longer. But I'm here now." 

Kenda stepped inside and gave Chris a lingering kiss. It had been two weeks since their night together and since then, their unspoken arrangement of casual sex had set a schedule of sorts in place; Every other day they were calling or texting one another to meet at the other's house when the urge sparked. They had done. the walk of shame so many times by now that the shame had completely worn off. They were having fun and the sex was better than ever, something which neither of them thought was possible given their history. It felt weird to call it a friends with benefits relationship even though that was basically what it was. They still joked around and talked like the best of friends but in the bedroom, it was nothing but carnal energy and heat, grabbing hands and bruising kisses. The both of them always left feeling light with goofy smiles stuck on their faces. 

"I was getting a little antsy there for a minute." 

"You poor thing. I'm that addictive?" Kenda joked. 

"You have no idea, baby doll. So what was the surprise you brought with you?" 

"You'll see shortly. Until then, got your room, get in bed and wait for me." 

Chris smirked as he raised an eyebrow. "So you're just gonna tell mom what to do now?" 

"Damn straight. Now go." 

Turning on his heel, Chris chuckled as he started to walk away. He spun back around when a loud slap greeted his ass through his sweats. Kenda flashed an evil grin as she winked. 

"Watch yourself," he warned playfully. 

Kenda watched him walk off before tiptoeing off to the guest bathroom. Closing and locking the door behind her, she set her bag on the sink and rummaged through it until she pulled out a lacy red lingerie set. Slipping out of her dress, she put on the thong and bralette that left little to the imagination before securing the garter belt around her waist. Next, she took out the matching stockings and connected them to the belt clips dangling down her thighs. She let her hair down and took care to unravel some of the curls. A quick spritz of perfume to each of her pressure points and one final look in the mirror to be sure everything was in place, Kenda set her bag to the side and exited the bathroom. The hallway leading to Chris' room felt so long as she quietly walked through, her nerves buzzing as excitement warmed her veins. In his room, Chris laid on his bed with his arm resting behind his head as he stared at the screen of his phone in boredom. Kenda clearing her throat from the doorway made him look up and soon as he did, he forgot whatever it was he was looking at just a second ago. 

"Sweet Jesus Christ," he said, his eyes wide. 

Kenda smiled as she sauntered into the room, her hands on her hips. She stopped at the foot of the bed where Chris' eyes stayed glued to her. 

"Aren't you overdressed?" 

He looked down at his sweatpants where a noticeable bulge sprang up, a subtle bob moving the fabric. "Right." He wasted no time removing his pants and boxers. 

Kenda crawled up the bed until she was between his legs, her eyes hooded. "Lets have some fun, huh?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is short and sweet but the next chapters should be longer and pretty interesting. Stick around...


	24. Chapter 24

It had been years since a whole day consisted of nothing but sex for the two of them. Chris had invited Kenda over and, per usual, they wasted no time ripping each other’s clothes off and fucking furiously as if it was the last thing they would ever do. They moved from room to room, bathroom to kitchen, one hard surface to the next. By the time the sun set, they were both spent as they laid in bed lazily tangled in one another’s limbs. Rick and Morty played on the tv as Chris watched from his place on Kenda’s stomach, his fingers rubbing absently over her skin. He placed gentle kisses by her navel. Having Kida made her already perfectly curved body more plump and round, the stretch marks born from those nine months long since faded but still visible. She continued to stay fit but there was still a softness to her belly and thighs that Chris couldn’t get enough of. Kenda played with his hair as they chuckled at the tv.   
“You’re supposed to be leaving for South Africa soon aren’t you?”   
Chris sighed. “Yep. Couple more weeks. Why, you gonna miss me?”   
“Please,” Kenda laughed. “That means I can devote some time to my other side pieces.”   
“Oh really?” Chris asked, his fingers tickling Kenda’s sides. “Ever the comedian.”   
Kenda shifted in bed. “Will you miss me?”   
“What kinda question is that?”   
“Fair.”   
“You already know I will. I always miss you when I’m away.”   
Chris pushed himself up and gave Kenda a chaste kiss before going back to his position on her stomach.   
Kenda shifted into serious mode for a second. “Hey, I know this was probably coming up eventually so I might as well ask it now: are we just messing around or is this gonna be the start of something?”   
Sitting up, Chris gave her an earnest look. He thought about his answer for a minute.   
“I mean I would like for this to turn into something but I’m having fun doing what we’re doing right now. It is fucking with my feelings a bit though I have to admit. It’s hard being fuck buddies with your ex when feelings are involved. How are you feeling about this?”   
The thought was always in the back of Kenda’s mind but now she felt confident enough to voice it.   
“I think... I think I wanna see where things go with us. If we are gonna get serious again at some point, then I want us to take it slow. Build back up to what we were before. Is that something you’d be okay with?”   
A grin creased Chris’ cheeks as he played with the coils falling over Kenda’s shoulder. “I can live with that. Maybe when I come back from filming, we can go out on a date? No sex.”   
“Oh see you just lost me,” Kenda waved dismissively. Chris chuckled. “That sounds fine. I have something to look forward to. Taking it slow.”   
“Taking it slow,” Chris repeated with a nod.   
They looked at each other with small smiles. Kenda’s phone rang then from its place in her jeans on the floor and she reached for it to see Shae calling through FaceTime. 

"Hey bitch," Kenda sang as she answered. 

"Hey!" Shae sang back. "Girl, why do you look like you've been fucked five ways from Sunday? Who you with?" 

Kenda rolled her eyes. "Mind your business. Don't worry about what grown folks do." 

To her surprise, Chris pointed the phone in his direction as he flashed a big smile. "Hey sexy." 

Shae's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates before she let out a squeal so loud the sound cut out for a moment. "Hey baby daddy!” she sang. “Look at you looking like a sexy lumber jack with that beard." Chris and Kenda both laughed. "So you're the reason my cousin got a whole glow going. I see y'all." 

"Shut up," Kenda giggled. "What do you want, fool?" 

"I was just calling to say hey, nothing important. I'll let you two get back to... whatever was happening," Shae said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. 

"Bye, bitch. Love you." 

"Love you too, hoe." To Chris, she gave a silly little school girl wave. "Bye baby daddy!" 

"Later, gorgeous," Chris responded. 

"Ooh let me get off this phone with him calling me all kinds of sexy and gorgeous. Bye y’all.”   
They hung up and Kenda turned to Chris. “You’re okay with her seeing us?”   
“Why shouldn’t I be? Your cousin may talk a lot but I’d trust her not to say anything if we didn’t want her to. Plus I miss talking to her crazy ass.”   
Kenda chuckled as she tossed her phone back on the floor.

  
Chris left two weeks later and unlike any other time he’d been gone for a shoot, Kenda felt an odd sense of comfort. The thought that they were working things out when he got back home kept her perked up. They regularly had FaceTime calls in their free time to catch each other up on the going’s on in their parts of the world.  
Nights out at Smokey’s Den was becoming a regular occurrence as well. It was obvious there was a change with Kenda based on her song choices; Everything was sultry and sexy and thoughtful. Chris had received a video from Shae consisting of Kenda giving her all to a song that clearly spoke to both of them and his heart felt full. They couldn’t quite put their finger on what changed between them from their first months of being together to now but they knew something was different, new. It gave them hope for the future for once with no worries of what could happen during. Kenda started to think that maybe all she did need was time to get used to Chris’ career and the time he spent away from them. Perhaps having Kida also helped with her changing perspective as well. It even surprised Chris that Kenda felt comfortable enough to let Chris talk about Kida openly for the first time. Somewhere down the line, Kenda felt her feelings becoming more and more concrete— she loved Chris, always did and always will. He was her person, the other half to make a whole. Imagining life without him from then on was impossible. She was ready to be with him and make things work, come what may.   
  


~~~

**_10_** **_weeks later... _**

Kenda pushed through the front door of Shae and Eva’s house with Kida in tow.   
“Knock knock bitches!” she called.   
“Mommy,” Kida said in a stern tone. “Language.”   
“Right. Sorry, bear. I didn’t mean it.” Kenda passed her a quarter from her purse.   
They walked through the house to find the ladies relaxing on their sun porch with the adorable teacup puppy they adopted not too long ago resting between them on a pilliow.   
“It’s about time you got here!” Eva said as she stood to hug Kenda.   
Kida ran over and immediately crawled into Shae’s lap, wrapping her arms around her.   
“Hey little mama.” Shae gave her a kiss on the cheek before directing her attention to her cousin. “What’s up, trick?”   
Kenda screwed her face up in mock disgust and rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m here like you wanted me to be. What’s up? You two getting married finally?”   
Eva laughed. “If you find a ring big enough for her, let me know. But no, we wanted your help on planning a party.”   
Kenda took a seat on the chaise across from them and gave their puppy a scratch on the head.“I can do that. What kind of party?”  
Eva and Shae shared a look before Shae pulled a white stick from her pocket.   
“Something centered around this.”   
Kenda glanced down at the stick with a clear plus sign on the tiny display screen. Gasping out loud, she clutched her chest and screamed.   
“You’re pregnant?!”   
Shae giggled happily as she nodded. “I’m gonna be a whole ass mom, girl! Thanks to donor 532-B.”   
Tears threatened to spill as Kenda fanned her eyes frantically. “Oh my God Shae! A baby?! I’m so excited for you!” They shared a tight embrace before Kenda laid a hand on her belly. “How far are you?”   
“8 weeks. We wanted to keep it a secret until we could find out the gender but I couldn’t hold back from telling you. It was killing me.”   
“Oh my God. I’m gonna plan the biggest, most ridiculous baby shower and gender reveal ever, okay? You picked the right one.”   
“I know I did,” Shae smiled. 

* * *

Chris stepped off the escalator into the packed lobby of the airport looking around for Kenda. From a distance, he spotted Kida first, a colorful sign in her hands that said Daddy. He smiled as he made his way toward her. Once she saw him, she ran in his direction. Kenda watched Chris lift Kida into the air and plant a kiss on her face. He made his way to her and they shared a lingering hug, Kenda taking in the light scent of his cologne. His hair was shorter now than it was before he left but still kept some of its length. His beard had been trimmed down as well. Nevertheless Kenda still felt herself swooning on the inside.   
“Let’s go home,” Chris said as he draped an arm around her.   
  


It was a relief to have Chris back home again. Kenda felt a sudden shyness around him like it was a first date. She found herself stealing glances at him from across the room, nervously playing with her hair when he talked to her. Butterflies tickled her insides. After they all shared a nice dinner and put Kida to bed, the two sat on the couch, their fingers lacing together.   
“I was thinking while I was gone, I know we said we were taking things slow but how would you feel about taking a little vacation, just the two of us?”   
“Hmm,” Kenda hummed. “Sounds nice. Where to?”   
“Mexico?”   
“Ooh that could be fun. A nice little resort on the beach with some margaritas? I’m down. What made you think of this?”   
Chris shrugged. “I thought a getaway for us to relax and rediscover our relationship would be good for us. Plus, what better place to have another first date than in Mexico?”   
“I like how you think, Evans.”   
“I’m a goddamn genius, I know.”   
Kenda laughed. Chris raised their entangled hands and placed a kiss on her knuckles.   
“I love you.”   
It slipped out so suddenly but it didn’t take either of them by surprise like it did the first time. Chris pulled her into his lap and nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck, her perfume tickling his nose. It sparked the fondest of memories.   
“I love you too, Ken. More than you know.”   
They curled up on the couch together and began planning their trip and getting excited over the fun they would have.

In the coming weeks, it was nothing but laughter, sun, sand and love blooming anew. The resort Chris chose for them to stay at was luxurious and so big they discovered new areas everyday. The beach was beautiful and the turquoise waters always warm and clear. Kenda never had a more blissful feeling than she did then with just herself and Chris holding hands as they walked along the shore line with the waves breaking over their feet. They explored every place nearby whether it was a restaurant or a small tourist spot. In between their trips outside there was great sex. Chris was growing accustomed to waking up with his cock inside Kenda's mouth as her sleepy eyes watched him and Kenda felt a newfound confidence with not having a strip of clothing on whenever they were in the privacy of their room. On their final night in the hotel, they made slow, passionate love on the chaise lounge on the balcony, the moon bathing them in its light as they came apart to the sound of the waves below. It felt like something out of a romance novel and Kenda never wanted it to end. A pang hit her chest as they flew over the ocean. They were sad to see it go but happy to be headed back home as a couple, in love and stronger than ever. 

* * *

Kenda sat with her laptop on her legs as Dodger laid beside her, his involuntary whimpers in his sleep making her chuckle. Ever since she started spending more time at Chris' Dodger had nearly become glued to her; He followed her to the kitchen, the bathroom and to bed. Chris felt a touch of jealousy losing his best friend to his girlfriend and Kenda had no problem rubbing it in his face. Chris entered the bedroom fresh from a workout. 

"Feeling good?" 

Chris took a drink from his water bottle before he answered. "I want a beer." 

Kenda shook her head. "Your aversion to working out never fails to be laughable."

"Why workout when you can have a beer?" 

Taking off his shirt, Chris readied himself to get in the shower just as Kenda stopped him. 

"Hey, I have something to tell you.”   
Chris arched an inquisitive brow at her. “Something good or bad?”   
“No no, it’s all good. I’ve been working with my general manager for about a month now trying to move towards a promotion and yesterday I was offered a job at a new building that’s launching soon.”   
“Really?” Chris beamed at the news. “Babe, congratulations! That’s great. Where’s the new building?”   
Kenda bit her lip as an anxious smile slowly grew over her lips. “That’s the best part and a good segway to the next bit of news you might like. This building... is in Boston.”   
A look of sheer surprise hit Chris before it changed to complete excitement. “Wait a second. Are you saying you wanna move to Boston?”   
“I gave it a lot of thought and I decided I’m ready for a change of scenery. Plus, I know you miss being home. We’re in a good place in our relationship finally and I want us to continue to grow as a family. And with your new projects taking place in Boston next year, it works out.”   
“Ken, babe, I don’t know what to say. Are you sure about this?”   
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”   
Chris’ heart swelled. He never thought that Kenda would ever fully get to this point and the fact that she was finally able to accept everything now made him happier than he thought possible. Crawling on the bed, he gave Kenda a kiss.   
“I love you so much.”   
“I love you more.”   
“Not possible.”


	25. Chapter 25

Kenda stood on the front porch admiring the view from her new home while Kida and Dodger played in the yard. The move to Boston went smoother than she thought it would and the house she and Chris picked was perfect down to the last detail. Chris was overjoyed that it was close to his sisters and that they could all see each other regularly now. The new position offered Kenda more opportunities and benefits she didn’t expect but enjoyed nonetheless. With Chris taking some time off until his next project, he was spending more time at home catching up on little things as well as making quality time for his girls.   
A week after they settled into their new digs, their families came to visit for a small housewarming party. It was the picture straight out of a scene from a movie; Kenda and Chris’ mother’s sipped wine as they talked in the kitchen over the stove while their fathers talked sports over cold beers on the back porch. The kids ran around the house with Dodger in tow as they laughed and screamed in enjoyment over a game of hide and seek. Shae, now sporting a small bump, sat cross legged on the couch talking animatedly with Chris while Kenda spoke to her belly.   
A big dinner was prepared and as everyone talked in unison around the table, Kenda felt a sudden but welcome jolt in her chest watching how much everyone enjoyed themselves. Scanning each person’s face, she eventually landed on Chris who met her eyes with a smile that creased his skin. This was what they both dreamed of, the moment when they could fully call themselves a family and have the ones they loved most surrounding them for a dinner and tons of laughs.   
  
  


With everyone returned home and the house settled down, Kenda sat outside and smiled to herself over how well the night went. Six years ago she couldn’t have imagined the road that would lead her to where she currently was. Even with all the pain that was born from their breakup and events after, somehow she and Chris found a way to stay entangled amongst each other. Before, it felt like a cruel trick of the universe because they thought they’d never be able to reach a point where a relationship could work. Now, they were finally living the life they wanted and more importantly, they were living it together with no problems.   
“You coming to bed, babe?” Chris asked from the doorway.   
Kenda turned around. “Sit with me a minute.” She gently patted the spot next to her.   
Chris stepped out and took a seat next to her, wrapping his cardigan clad arm around her shoulders. Kenda laid her head on the spot between his neck and shoulder.   
“You ever think back to that night we met?”   
“Every now and again. Why?”   
Kenda grinned. “Just wondering. Who could’ve predicted where we would be right now from that day?”   
Chris sighed. “I know I definitely wouldn’t have. Everyday though I’m glad I saw you that night.”   
Kenda shifted her head to look up at his face. “Me too.”   
They shared a short but tender kiss. A few quiet minutes passed by before Chris perked up.   
“I’ll be back.” He rushed inside the house and came back not even a minute later. Sitting down in the same spot, he turned to Kenda. “So I told myself to wait to do this but fuck it, I don’t want to. Babe, you’ve made me the happiest I’ve ever been in years. You gave me the greatest gift I could ever ask for in our sweet little girl and through our ups and downs, I never stopped loving you. We joked about it before but I believe we were always destined to be together. We were just... meant to be. I don’t wanna spend a day without you.”   
Chris uncovered a tiny box from beneath his sleeve and opened to reveal a gold ring with a large diamond set inside.   
“Kenda Georgette Mills, will you be my wife?”   
Kenda’s jaw dropped as she looked between the ring and Chris’ sincere face, the blue oceans sparkling in the light of the moon.   
“Are... are you serious?” 

“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”   
It was too late to cull the threat of tears as they quickly flowed from her eyes.   
“Yes. Yes, baby, I’ll marry you!”   
The look that washed over Chris’ face was enough to melt anyone’s heart as he excitedly took the ring from the box and slipped it onto Kenda’s finger. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her deeply.   
“I love you, sweetheart. More than you could ever know.”   
Kenda sniffled as she smiled brightly through her tears. “I love you too, Chris. So much.”

* * *

Chris fidgeted with his fingers as he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the bathroom door. He tried to keep an even pace to his breathing but it was hard. The second the alarm on his phone went off, he jumped and quickly switched it off as he heard another alarm in the bathroom going off. After a minute that felt like eons, the door opened and Kenda stepped out with her hands to her side and an odd expression on her face. Chris stood up and looked at Kenda with an anticipatory glint in his eye. Suddenly, Kenda cracked a wide smile as she shook the small white stick in her hand.   
“Is it...?” Chris started to ask.   
Kenda nodded excitedly as she started bouncing on the balls of her feet.   
“It’s positive.”   
“Yes!” Chris swept Kenda into his arms and twirled her around as he let out a giddy laugh.   
After he proposed, it was inevitable that a little celebratory sex would soon follow. Little did they know that six weeks later, Kenda would figure out that the weird symptoms she was experiencing weren’t because of a cold or anything else but because she was pregnant. When the realization hit, she told Chris. His excitement was palpable even though they weren’t completely sure of anything. Kenda immediately ran out to the nearest drug store and bought two boxes of tests. Sure enough, each one read positive.

Kida walked into the room and looked inquisitively at her parents embrace. “Why are you so happy?”   
They turned to their daughter and smiled.   
“I’m gonna have another baby, bear! You’re gonna be a big sister!”   
Surprise took a second to register on her face before she squealed happily and clapped, her little body jumping for joy. “Yay!”   
“Yay!” Kenda shouted back as she grabbed her daughter in her arms and danced. “You’re gonna have a little brother or sister!”   
“No question, this one will be a boy,” Chris proclaimed.   
“This is gonna be a girl house. Please believe,” Kenda retorted with a roll of her eyes.   
“Yeah, daddy,” Kida joined in. “Girls only.”   
Chris laughed heartily. “Peach you’re supposed be on my side!”   
Kida shook her head defiantly. Chris wanted a son but honestly, he yearned for another girl to match Kida’s spunk. He looked at his girls with a proud smile and mentally thanked whoever he needed to for making their seemingly perfect life even more perfect.  
  



	26. Chapter 26

_ **Epilogue- Spring 2019** _

Kenda wiped her clammy hands on the balled up paper towel she kept stashed in her clutch for the umpteenth time as the limo strolled down the busy LA streets. It was the night of the big premiere of the next Avengers movie and Chris begged Kenda to join him not only as his date but so they could make their first official outing as a couple. It was something they would’ve preferred to keep private but it was inevitable that eventually news would get out one day much like it had before. They agreed that this time it would be on their terms in an environment they were both okay with. Earlier excitement was soon overshadowed by nervousness as Kenda tried not to sweat through her overly expensive dress that Chris bought her.  
“You alright, babe?” Chris asked giving her thigh a gentle squeeze.   
“Mmhmm,” Kenda hummed, the slightest bit of worry etched in the lines of her forehead.   
“Like I told you earlier, just keep holding my hand. I’m right here. Plus you look _stunning_. This will be a good night I promise.”   
Kenda nodded and took a calming breath. The limo stopped in front of a large crowd of photographers and screaming people. Up close, it looked even more nerve racking. She tried to figure out how the hell Chris did this for so many years with seemingly no problems. The driver got out and opened the back door and Chris stepped out first before reaching back to take Kenda’s hand.   
“Okay,” she breathed.   
Taking Chris’ hand, she stepped out of the limo into blinding camera flashes and ear piercing shrieks. It was all so disorienting and such a shock for someone not used to the sight. A reassuring squeeze of her hand made Kenda look over at her fiancé.   
“I got you,” he mouthed before winking.   
He smiled and waved to the photographers on either side of the red carpet, some rudely screaming for him to turn to them while others practically begged him to turn their way. He calmly obliged to a few pictures before leading Kenda up the carpet away from the majority of the noise and flashes. Kenda tried to give her best Hollywood smile while trying to keep her eyes from watering. It was a wonder how any celebrity managed to do this regularly.   
“The worst part is over. I’ll probably start getting pulled to do interviews in a bit. Is that okay?”   
Kenda nodded. “It’s your night.”   
“_Our_ night,” he corrected her.   
Smiling, she followed him as he stopped in front of various cameras to speak to reporters and gossip show hosts. Most of the questions were the same but of course the focus was on the mystery woman Chris was snuggled up with.   
“Who’s your beautiful date?” one particular woman asked as she held her microphone up for Chris.   
He looked over and gave Kenda his special smile that made everything pause for just a moment. “This is my fiancé, Kenda.”   
“Fiancé?! Wait a second, is this a real time peak into Chris Evans’ life? You’re engaged now?”   
“I’m happily engaged to my best friend and,” he paused to rest his hand over Kenda’s belly, “expecting another little rugrat in the near future.”   
“Well congratulations!” the woman said happily. She turned to the camera beside her. “You all heard it here, folks. _The_ Captain America is engaged with a second child on the way and we couldn’t be more excited. How do you feel, dear?” she asked Kenda.   
Kenda smiled shyly. “I’m ecstatic. Never been happier.”   
“I know you’re usually very private about your love life Chris but what made you bring your now fiancé to this premiere tonight?”   
“I just wanted to show off the person that makes me happy on an important night. It took a lot for us to get to this point and I just wanted her here with me.”   
“Well you both look absolutely amazing and Kenda you’re _glowing_. Congratulations again on your engagement _and_ your pregnancy and I wish you both the best.”   
“Thank you,” Chris and Kenda said in unison.   
They walked off and Kenda couldn’t help but smile at Chris. She knew he undoubtedly had a little bit of a persona that he put in front of the cameras but it didn’t feel fake or forced, especially not then when he spoke of her and their baby. She felt a silly grin spread across her face as she looked at him and her heart fluttered in her chest. Chris met her eyes and matched her grin as he kissed her temple and hugged his arm around her waist.  
“Ready to meet the crew?” he gestured towards his costars who were in the middle of a photo op.   
“Let’s go.”  
  



End file.
